Two Boys, One Heart
by XC12Passion
Summary: Seventeen-year-old Misako discovers it is entirely possible to fall in love with two men- two brothers, in fact, just to make the confusing emotions, deceiving acts and deadly secrets all the worse. In the midst of her ambiguous decision between the two boys, Wu and Garmadon find their enduring friendship put to the ultimate test when they engage in an all-out war to win her heart.
1. One Step Closer

**A/N: It's about time I posted something! Well, here it is: The prequel to _Little Miracles_! Although I will be rewriting _Little Miracles_ I will try my best not to confuse you.**** In this case, you do NOT need to read Little Miracles before Two Boys, One Heart_._**

**Before reading, take caution of the warning below, as it explains the content of this story. Younger readers, I suggest you read cautiously thoughout later chapters as some material may not be suitable. Before each chapter, I will always remind you of strong intimate scenes or harsh violence. **Seriously though, don't stress! Anything you read will never be overly extreme since I only imply minor themes and I am looking out for younger readers as well. ****

**WARNING ****Rated T For: hard language, extremely descriptive intimate scenes between characters, and both persistent and intense violence.  
****(I obviously do not own Lego NinjaGo: Masters of Spinjitzu, or any of the characters!)**

**One Step Closer**

The warm pink glow of a brilliant tangerine sunrise bled through a curtain adorned window and cascaded across the edge of an occupied daybed. Penetrating the shadows of twilight, the vivid rays advanced upon a silvery-gray comforter and melted across the resting frame of a seventeen-year-old girl. Glistening streams of sunlight seeped through her closed eyelids to remind her the tranquility of dawn had prepared the beginning of a new day.

Waking her sleep blurred eyes, Misako Shintani blinked as her pupils adjusted to the unfamiliar brightness of daylight. The long-haired brunette gradually pulled herself into an upright position after kicking back a bundle of flannel blankets. She swept away the tousled mass of hair freely untucked from its messy braid, while lazily swinging her legs over the side of the furniture. A restless lack of slumber heavily dazed the teenager as sleep indecisively faded in and out of her body. Slightly teetering, she closed her weary eyes, nearly losing the battle against the drowsiness invading her body, when a sudden recollection abruptly struck her with reasoning as to why sleep had not agreed with her the night before. In the fullness of time, she arouse in realization.

This was the day!

As a result of several anticipating months of exhilaration and unimaginable excitement beyond belief, the desired weekend Misako had been waiting so unfathomably impatient for was here! A brand-new future in the expansive metropolis of Ninjago awaited her and she couldn't be more anxious. Giddy with excitement, Misako collected her glasses from the night table and bolted out the door of her former bedroom with an unintended slam. The sugary aroma of hot pancakes whirling up the second floor would lead the way down a long, white railed staircase where she met the professionally designed environment of an exquisite foyer. A nearby set of floor to ceiling double doors were left slightly ajar, inviting her straight into a very stunning and well equipped kitchen. Furnished with stainless steel appliances, the room's sleek quartz countertops and ceramic floor tiles bespoke perfection. A glamorous, metallic-pearl textured paper covered all four walls, decorated with several opened windows drawing a honeyed sunrise into the room.

The backside of a comfortably dressed woman appearing in her early fifties was spotted at some small distance from a cluttered stovetop. At the scuffing noise of the kitchen's glass doors widening, the woman wheeled around, shocked to find her daughter strolling through the doorway, "Since when are you awake at this hour?"

"You certainly didn't expect me to sleep in today, did you?" Misako drew back her lips in a radiant smile as she moved into the pair of outstretched arms magnetizing her in for a warm embrace.

Namiko Shintani detached their engage with reluctance. Her clouded eyes took their time scanning the flawless features crafting the young girl's appearance. Her mother blinked the welling tears away and uneasily forced a smile. "I cannot believe how much you've grown..." With a slow shake of the head, her voice broke. "Where has the time gone?"

Taking notice of the glistening beads streaking her mother's cheeks, Misako's brows furrowed with sympathy. "Oh, Mom, please don't cry," she sadly offered a smile while drying the silent tears with her thumb, "I don't want to look back at this day and remember how it turned into a huge crying mess."

"I know, I know. I told myself I wouldn't..." She ran a finger beneath her lower lashes, collecting an overflow of salty tears secreted in the corners of her eyes. "It's just that you've never left home for this long, and I've realized now how quickly you've grown up. Soon you will be getting married and having children, and here I am thinking you're still my little girl!"

"Relationships are _not_ on my list of priorities. I have plenty of time to worry about that later." The seventeen-year-old lightened the mood with a faint laugh before reassuring her mother. "And I will always be your daughter, no matter how old I am or how far away I may be."

An older man with glasses and short-cropped, silver hair shuffled through a propped open set of glass doors with a folded newspaper stuffed under his arm. "Ah, there she is!" The man exclaimed as his eyes fell upon the teenager. He closed his free arm around his daughter, tugging her into his side as he kissed the top of her head. "How is my girl this morning?

Misako giggled and returned his loving affection, "Morning, Dad."

"What are you standing around for? Most of the food is already at the table." Mr. Shintani gave Misako a gentle nudge toward the small dining table near the porch doors, "Why don't you make yourself a plate while your mother and I finish up in the kitchen?"

The dining table was left without a tablecloth, daring Misako to ruin the perfectly polished shine with her unnecessary fingerprints fogging the crystal clear glass. At each placemat stood matching glasses filled to the rim with fresh orange juice. Beside them lay beautifully folded napkins, avoiding the clutter of several dishes containing abundant loads of mixed fruit, bacon, eggs, hash browns, and mounds of fried potatoes. All that was missing was the platter of chocolate chip pancakes. The moment the family slid into their chairs, they served themselves with enormous helpings of homemade food before engaging in conversation.

"Big day today, huh?" Mr. Shintani raised an eyebrow as he added the finishing touch to his plate with a whopping serving of fruit.

Misako shifted uneasily in her seat. "I've been so anxious."

"It will definitely be quite a change for you, dear," Namiko chimed in, "this is the city we're talking about- it's extremely dangerous and the crime rate is just absurd. You never know what could be out there."

"I'm aware that it's not the safest place in Ninjago, but the career opportunities are endless," she paused to take a sip of her beverage, "And if the museum isn't looking for help at the moment, It's reassuring to know I have plenty of alternatives."

"Yes, even if they are not currently looking to hire, I am certain they would find a way to squeeze you in." Misako's father swallowed and placed his glass down, "So have you and Silvia decided what time she will be picking you up?"

"No, there's no need for her to go out of her way just to pick me up. I'm taking the subway down to the city and she agreed to meet me at the station."

"That's fine, as long as you call me as soon as you arrive to touch base. And you're positive everything is already at the apartment?"

Misako nodded, "Everything except for a few bags of clothes, otherwise I should be set to go."

Mrs. Shintani suddenly set down her silver fork. Misako could see the seriousness shadowing her face. "Now, I don't want you thinking being away from your parents is just an excuse to say 'party all night.' You need to focus on your career and-"

"And stay away from boys." Mr. Shintani sternly blurted. "At this age they are nothing but trouble. Every single one of them-"

Namiko shot her husband a silencing glance and nonchalantly returned her attention to Misako, "And if you ever get homesick, don't ever hesitate to call home. We will always be here."

"Absolutely. The idea of moving out of the house and living on your own is exciting, but leaving your old life and entering a very different one can be rather daunting." Mr. Shintani added while piling a second helping of fried potatoes onto his plate. "And I would like to hear from you at least once a week. Call me every Sunday night, and if for whatever reason you cannot call me Sunday, call me on Saturday to tell me why you could not call me on Sunday."

As breakfast carried on, the threesome savored their time together as a family, chatting and sharing laughs as if it were any other normal day, making their last meal together exceptionally memorable. They cleaned up their remains of breakfast and, before they knew it, found themselves standing in the busy station lines of Ninjago's underground subway system.

Her body trembling, Misako anxiously bit her lower lip as she listened to the screeching tracks of the nearing subway train. Behind her, she felt the delicate touch of her father's hand cupping her shoulder. She turned her head slightly, catching sight of his sad smile, "Are you ready?"

The unwanted tears rushed to cloud her vision as she shook her head. A soft grin masked her terrorized visage and she admitted, "I'm afraid."

"Don't be." The older man murmured, drawing her close to his chest, "Just walk out into the world with confidence, and keep your head up," He gently raised her chin. Green stared into green, "Do what you are there to do, and be the best that you can be. Do not ever let someone tell you that you can not do something. Understand?" Misako nodded, closing her eyes as she tucked her head beneath her father's chin, listening to the piercing roars of the express train violently tearing through the tracks, it's breaks suddenly screamed to a halt. She whipped her head up, watching the disembarking passengers egress the subway cars. This was it.

Namiko tightly squeezed her daughter and pecked the girl's temple, "We will never get used to not seeing you every day." Choking back her sobs, the lips began to tremble, "Keep in touch and don't ever be afraid to call us if you ever need anything. We'll see you for your cousin's wedding, okay?"

Misako returned her mother's kisses and unwillingly left her touch. She then moved into her father, crying as she did so, "I never thought this day would come."

"I did." Her father beamed down at her, "Don't change too much, alright?" Misako found her subtle smile as she pulled away and removed her luggage from the filthy cement floor. Spacing himself from his little girl, Mr. Shintani gently grinned, "I have to let you go now."

Misako carefully took a few steps backward, swallowing her tears to flash a bright smile. The older couple's arms wrapped around each other as they waved goodbye in unison. She turned. The train's doors loudly collided behind her. Taking the first available seat, Misako pulled her bags onto her lap when she slid into the far bench. The train jerked forward, gradually feeding itself through the black mouth of the tunnel. Headphones plugged in, she closed her eyes while leaning her head against the plate-glass window. Her brand new life in the city was only an hour away.

****Done already? Alright, lets chat XD I know the first chapter was beyond boring and dragged on for a bit, but thats how most stories begin, so don't quit just because it made you drool on your keyboard-I promise it will get better as soon as Wu and Garmadon make their way into the story. The plot really kicks off after the second chapter, and I doubt any of you will see what's coming so make sure you're watching for an update!****

******The cover for this story literally took me 33 hours. I kept track of time, yeah that's weird, I know, I was just curious to see how long it would take. Wu, Misako and Garmadon really didn't take as long as I expected, it was the Monastery behind them that killed me. I can't even tell you how frustrating it was to make that thing. If you want to see the full picture, I posted it on DeviantArt.******

****Well I'm out of here, thank you so much for reading and h********ave an awesome day guys! See you next update!****


	2. Ninjago City

**A/N: I really need to ****work harder on getting these out here sooner. ****I wasn't expecting so many readers already! Seriously, you guys rock. Thank you so much for your support! I apologize for not posting this chapter sooner, I suffered a concussion last week because of my older brother.. Fortunately, there was no bleeding in the brain, however, it was bad enough to be taken to the hospital immediately for cat scans. Still pained with severe headaches, otherwise I should be fine. I couldn't focus for a good week or so, and I am currently still trying to recover, so please spare me for the bad chapter; I did the best I could with a damaging blow to the head XD**

**Again, this will drag on to be another one of those boring early chapters in the story; Although, it is an important piece that will set the scene and prepare you for the upcoming madness in chapter three. I'm super excited to post it, especially because it was my first time packing action and suspense into my writing. Surprisingly, I'm pleased to say the rough draft turned out decent enough to use- well, at least I thought it did XD Sorry for the wait, I have quite the schedule this month so I am planning on updating anytime within the next two weeks. Be looking out for it! **

**Ninjago City**

The express train screeched to a grinding halt, reviving the dizzied travelers crammed within its endless chain of cars. Tearing herself out of a light sleep, Misako peeked an eye open to catch a glimpse of the subway's determined passengers tussling for the exit in disarray. It was midday, the worst possible time to arrive. The musty air was heavy and smelled of diesel, making it impossible to breath. The place was swarming with single-minded commuters impolitely pushing and shoving with aim to escape the congested arrival station. Drowning in the crowds of chaos, her only option was to follow the hanging overhead signs, which would direct her toward an escalator dumping loads of noisy citizens to their desired levels. It wasn't until she had reached the ground floor when she heard her name rising above the pandemonium.

"Misako!" A spirited young woman with shoulder length, jet black hair stood at the station gates, drawing the light brunette's attention with flailing arms. The teenager's face lit up in relief as she closed the distance between her and her best friend; both girls squealed with excitement as they rocked one another in their arms.

"I thought you'd never make it out of there alive!" The stunning Silvia squeezed Misako tightly before pulling away with an ear-to-ear grin, "So how was the trip?"

"Longer than I expected." Misako blew out her breath, "I'm just glad to finally use my legs after two and a half hours."

"One day you'll look back and realize it was all worth the hassle." Silvia smiled and bent down to handle her friend's luggage, "C'mon, let's head home. You must be exhausted after all of that." Misako gladly followed her roommate through two sets of doors to uncover the extraordinary outside world of Ninjago's illuminated metropolis.

Although her eyes had soaked up the heart-stopping sight once before, her jaw habitually fell agape, releasing a soft gasp in unmitigated amazement as the bustling city's glittering lights exploded in a breathtaking spectacle around her. Jumbles of ultramodern skyscrapers and towers stretched toward the afternoon sky above, shadowing the countless buildings with a series of interlocking roads and alleyways twisting throughout the heart of Ninjago. Overpopulated and flushed with life, she made the connection as to why the city was never known to sleep with such blasts of vibrant lights threading through the continuous rows of buildings stacked three to six stories high.

Silvia stole a sidelong glance at an astonished Misako as they strolled down the mobbed sidewalk, "So what do you think?"

"Is it always this crowded?"

"I would say it is. Especially on days like today, everyone's out enjoying their Saturday afternoon shopping sprees." The darker haired female gazed up at the flashing show of colors reflecting off the skyscrapers' advertising boards, "It's really something, isn't it?"

"It's everything I could have hoped for," Misako breathed in incredulity.

"Believe me, you haven't seen anything yet," Silvia eagerly hooked arms with Misako as they crossed the booming street at a leisurely walk, "Just wait until I show you the main square!

On the bustling roadways, inching traffic and transportation systems crawled impatiently; while on the cobbled side streets, seas of shoppers flew in and out of cafes, open markets, boutiques and florist shops. The sidewalks were completely flooded with people. Most were sightseers visiting from all corners of the land; after all, Ninjago City was a renowned tourist attraction, and was often visited during the Summers.

The girls stood at a street curb, flagging down the nearest taxi cab pulling up just moments to their wave. Silvia paid their ride and forced Misako's luggage under her feet; the cab, careless rather its passengers were situated or not, peeled out onto the overcrowded street with a shrill. Misako watched the city turn into a blur of motion, and slowly turned her head away, uncomfortably sinking into the cold leather. Silvia witnessed the anxiety glazing her friend's eyes. She leaned forward with a sympathetic smile, "You're unusually quiet over there. Is everything okay?"

A slow nod, and she blinked, "A little overwhelmed I suppose."

"And that's normal, Misako. It's a huge transition moving all the way from Jamanakai Village." She delicately patted the other's arm in comfort as the taxi rolled to a stop behind uncontrolled lines of traffic. "All you need is some adjusting, and you'll be warming up to urban life in no time at all."

To Silvia's avail, Misako returned a closed lip smile, and then rolled her head back towards her window suddenly erupting in spasmodic blazes of light coruscating off the bordering towers. Her breath completely taken away, she pressed her forehead against the tinted glass for a clearer view, "Is this the square you mentioned earlier?"

"You bet it is." Silvia found amusement in her friends's speechless reaction, and bent over Misako's lap for her own share of the sight, "We'll have to come back out here for dinner tonight. You won't believe all the restaurants and bars this place has!"

"Well, then dinner will definitely be a tough decision to make." Misako laughed, "I've been looking forward to eating out all day."

"We have the whole night to tour, so just tell me what you're hungry for and I'll help you narrow the choices down."

While chatting over popular diners, the girls watched hundreds of pedestrians mob the vast intersection each time the crossing light turned green. An incredible backdrop of scintillating advertising boards flared multicolored glows off the towers overlooking the prominent landmark. With unblinking eyes, Misako could hardly believe what she was seeing. Every radiant electronic board commanded her attention, and it was all too much to wrap her mind around.

As their taxi crawled forward, she suddenly caught sight of an immensely booming video screen pumping neon lights through a powerful animated display of two masked vigilantes coiled defensively in pose. Both athletically built ninja were embodied in a fearsome attire of silver and dark slate; Their flesh completely hidden, all except for a small slit around their eyes.

Misako leaned back with a feeling of reverential wonder. She had an idea of them, but just to make certain, she pointed out the electronic screen to her friend, "Who are they?"

Silvia followed her finger with wild eyes, "Oh, my gosh. You're killing me. You don't know who they are?"

She burst out laughing, "I was just clarifying-"

The other didn't even give her a chance to answer, "The Garmadon brothers? Ninjago's new defenders? What planet are you from? They've been the talk of the city since they made their first appearance here last week."

Abruptly, the video display flickered to a different scene, and multiplied its projection over every billboard decorating the square. With unblinking eyes, Misako curiously studied a close up view of the two ninja's faces pressing the boards. The eyes remained closed for a moment and, followed by an erupting sound effect, simultaneously broke open to reveal two fiery sets of eyes. One caribbean blue and the other indigo violet. Their irises were so detailed and mesmerizing, Misako lost herself as the cab sped ahead.

**A/N: I'm afraid some of you may not have made it all the way through. I warned you XD I promise chapter three will make up for it! Speaking of the next chapter... As I mentioned before, I will always give you a warning of the possible intense content within chapters. Chapter three will include extremely harsh, persistent violence throughout the entire chapter. Who knows, maybe those mysterious ninja will make a second appearance sometime soon XD Alright, I gotta get off before I spill.. Have an awesome weekend!**


	3. An Underworldly Incursion

**A/N: You have a lot of reading to do so I won't keep you long. Although I would like to give you a reminder of this chapter's angst content, as it will be quite different from what you expect to read from me. This is rated 'T' for minor gore, violence, and harsh scenes, but it is far from anything you can not handle XD**

**An Underworldly Incursion**

The foggy glass doors to Ninjago's Museum of History swung open, and out walked a crestfallen Misako, hugging her chest as she trudged through a cold drizzling rain under an angry grey sky. Her downcast eyes spotted Silvia right where she had left her: leaned against one of the beast-like marble statues guarding the museum's front entrance. The hopeful twinkle in Silvia's eye vanished as Misako drew closer, her doleful countenance said it all.

The brunette pressed her lips and shrugged, "Unfortunately, they are not hiring any time soon. Though, the Director did offer me an internship position in the museum's library. On account of that, I would gain work experience before he would consider hiring me as an archaeologist."

"Well, is it a paid internship?" Silvia asked.

She shook her head, "It's not. Even so, I took the position."

They rounded a corner of the hustling side street and crossed the busy intersection packed with a steady flow of fast-moving foot traffic, seemingly immune to the overload of brilliant imagery. It had been a little over two months since Misako had transitioned to the city, yet, she found it entirely impossible to go about her new life without holding her breath in pure fascination.

Hip-to-hip with Silvia in a quiet saunter, Misako's expression carried the weight of a stone as she poured out her disappointment, "I was so certain I would get the job... I never would have thought to look elsewhere."

"At least you know the museum has a job waiting for you," The other encouraged.

"It's very reassuring," she nodded. "In the meantime, if you have any other alternatives, I would love to hear them."

The dark haired girl smiled after taking a moment to collect her thoughts, "Actually, there's a new bookstore that opened up last month called Cross Cover. It's only a few blocks down the street if you wanna pop in and see if it's somewhere you can see yourself applying." Somehow, she always found a way to inspirit Misako, even in the deepest predicaments.

"You know me all too well, Silvia."

"I can't think of a more suitable job for you! It seems you're always-" She unexpectedly stopped, mid-sentence. Misako looked about her friend in puzzlement, for Silvia's face was as white as a ghost. Before long, she, too, wore the uncertainty haunting the visage of the other.

A mysterious, bone-chilling mist progressively drifting from behind them swirled around their ankles and rose to lick at their shins. The immeasurable blanket of overcast loomed around them as the freezing haze slowly thickened into a dense fog of midnight blue. The girls turned around in confusion, as did the city's startled pedestrians, and stared into the inky clouds rolling in from as far as the eye could see. Misako curiously held out her hand, watching the unexplained smoke become partially obscured. The low clouds swallowing their feet increasingly climbed up their waist, and they had no choice but to breath it in.

"What's going on?" Silvia's brows came together. She looked to the brunette in hope for an answer, though, perhaps for once in her life, Misako did not have one.

Gathering clouds, heavy and ominous, bent on the silver horizon and pressed down on the distant skyscrapers, leaving the metropolis swimming in an unnatural blackness. By that time, people were everywhere. Hundreds of perturbed shoppers and commuters abandoned their cars and stores, and spilled onto the streets in scattered clusters for a glimpse at the brewing storm. As a thunderous deluge forked the air, jagged bolts of electric blue lightening cracked the sky in half. There was then a terrible rumble triggered from deep within the earth that struck terror into every living soul above. Shaken, Misako and Silvia locked apprehensive eyes as their hair whipped about in the turbulent winds howling past them like a siren, a _warning_.

The boiling clouds oozed and billowed to cast their world into a threatening darkness, giving the impression that this was only the beginning of what was yet to come. A prolonged rumble growled beyond the layers of creeping fog, drowning conversation from the reacting crowds looking around in bafflement. Several police officers poured onto the streets and began barking orders, escorting the general public to safety, while a siren wailing police car cruised down the road, patrolling citizens with broadcasting radio microphones. The curious teenagers hastily eased their way into the far end of the nearest throng, escaping an enemy they could not see. A police car casually drifted alongside the traveling mass while speaking into the address system, "This is an emergency. Everyone must clear the streets now-"

_Crash!_

An eruption of blood-curdling exclamations unraveled from the throats of thousands. Hands instinctively flew up to cover gaping mouths and unblinking eyes in unimaginable horror. The terror-stricken crowds stiffened as their popping eyes followed an enormous, bone constructed vehicle bulldozing the demolished police car to a flattening crush beneath its raised wheels. A violent shiver shot down Misako's spine and she felt the blood chill in her veins. Alarmed patrol officers immediately sprung into action and began directing the floods of uncivilized pedestrians spiraling into an untamable panic, "Evacuate the area now! Clear the streets! Clear the streets immediately!" Upsurging from every direction of the square, strobing red and blue lights followed piercing sirens as countless police cars sped around street corners and blocked off the roads. A number of patrol officers made every effort to steer the clamorous mobs as far as they possibly could, while the remaining cops prepared to take a stand against a villain far exceeding their abilities to control.

Much to the city's discomfort, the unearthly vehicle did not come alone. Deep engine rumbles grew closer and closer until, all at once, dozens of monstrous skull trucks and motorbikes plowed through the curtain of fog with a mighty roar. Black smoke poured from exhaust pipes as blinding headlights lit paths for the colossal vehicles dangerously careening through the streets, leaving the multitudes in a state of unspeakable shock. Engine viciously rattling, the first, and most intimidating skeletal truck screeched to a reckless halt in plain sight of the frightened citizens packing the heavily guarded intersection.

But then, they saw the shadow. The shadow of a horrific, four armed figure hidden among layers of eddying fog. For the first time in centuries, an ancient evil emerged in the midst of smoke to reveal the hair-raising image of the king of the Underworld, Samukai, whose hellish appearance emphasized his ruthless intent. The skeleton-like giant stood well over ten feet tall, appearing other-worldly. Clad in heavy brown armor, he wore a large standard chest plate over his tattered rib cage, a red belt that sagged just below his boned hips, and an oversized samurai helmet shading his massive skull. Beneath the armor, a remarkably sturdy framework of solid, battered bone made up his tremendous build. His jaw was unnaturally dislocated, forcing a serious underbite with rows of pointed teeth, each as sharp as the four daggers he wielded. His hideous facial features were hardened and covered in crooked scars, and his soulless eyes melted into sunken black pools which held his cruel, merciless red irises.

As the lead-footed monster lingered in the smears of black and blue fog, an addition of three barbaric skeleton generals suddenly appeared behind the taller; their malicious grins opened to mouthfuls of slanted fangs. His henchmen now on either side of him, the large hulk of a creature peeled back a sinister smile, taking in the human's rising cries of hysteria.

Just as sudden as the generals had appeared, several hundred ambiguous forms took shape amid the thickened haze blurring the intertwined streets. Scrambling civilians watched in mortal terror as the smoke gave rise to the Underworld's fearsome Skulkin Army, barbarically surging in the direction of the populated main square. Then came the uproar of deafening screams, terrified and distressed, strangled in fear and panic. With their hearts in their mouths, the numbers fled every which way, shrieking, crying, wailing, shouting, and screaming in their frenzy to get the hell out of there. A gigantic wave of people in a cold sweat ripped through the dispersing swarms, knocking, shoving, and pushing aside anything in their way in a wild run for their lives.

Samukai's booming cackle reverberated throughout the jeopardized city as he began to push his way into a clearing. The defending uniformed men were not hesitant to pull their pistols and spray open fire at the villainous giant stalking toward them. The hail of bullets ricocheted off the dented armor and killed six officers with their own shots. The skeleton king easily hurtled a police car and, before he landed, each dagger was driven home; four cops dismounted and collapsed to the concrete,_ dead. _

"Just remember what we're after," Samukai rotated the blood-coated blades between his gloved claws, and glanced over his shoulder to Wyplash, his second-in-command, "and take all the weaponry you can find!" He then wheeled around and barged through Kruncha and Nuckal, who anticipated his signal for action. "Boys, take whatever you want!"

Before long, the intersection reeled in hundreds of lives, all of whom anxiously kept their heads down and arms raised, helplessly cowering in huddles. A unit of armed skeleton soldiers led by Wyplash, barricaded the silenced crowd as the higher ranking general slowly split down the center of the unnerved mass, a horrid smile worn on his chalky face, "Do not be foolish. Do not choose sides in this war... Your species is helpless..." His haunting tone was loud and clear to stress their demand of weaponry and metalware they had initially come for, "And if you do not give us what we want, people _will_ die," there was a dramatic pause before he drew out a dark sword attached to his hip, "starting now," and thrust the blade violently into the nearest gut, twisting, and then sharply yanking it out to splatter innocent blood onto neighboring faces. The lifeless body was then thrown into the hysteric throng outcrying in ear-splitting screams. Wyplash looked to make his next selection, pointing his bloodied blade at each in turn. Again came the general's chilling voice, "Eeny Meeny Miney mo..."

Miskao and Silvia stepped backward, quivering, while they witnessed the square's horrific incident from a safe distance. The blood drained from their faces as they were knocked around by uncontrolled citizens fiercely racing past them. Floods of skeleton charged forward. The adrenaline surged through their veins, fight or flight. As their legs began to move, their decision was made, and so they hit the streets running among the outpour of traumatized pedestrians taking flight. The buildings lining the streets breathed scorching flames from shattered windows, topsy-turvy cars and busses blocked alleyways and escape routes, steel cables rained down onto side streets, and all the while, skull trucks blasted down one-way streets and turned onto sidewalks, crashing into towers, abandoned cars, or even immobile souls too afraid to run. Flipping out of the backs of grumbling vehicles, bloodthirsty skeleton soldiers dropped onto the pavement in front of sprinting people, frightening them to death, and then murderously chasing after them with raised bone axes, maces, and swords. The deadly Underworld attack had developed into a savage killing spree as the remorseless Skulkin carried out their superior's orders and wreaked havoc in the heart of Ninjago for their own sadistic pleasure.

Her legs pounding furiously on the cement, Misako protectively held a hand up to her widened eyes in a desperate search for safety while out of control civilians, trailed by the living dead, perilously crossed their path. To the right of her, a distressed Silvia cried out, "We need to get out of here! Now!"

Before them, an aluminum street lamp post tipped and smashed into the pavement, barely missing the girls by a foot. Misako, dry coughing and out of breath, quickened her pace to an all out sprint as shelter finally came into sight, "There's an alley up ahead! We can still make it if we hurry!"

On their frantic dash, an attentive soldier spotted them out like a lion would his prey. He sprung off the crushed roof of a Mercedes, drew his pickaxe in mid-air, and forcefully landed face-to-face with his next two victims. Bonezai, the pitiless, white armored skeleton bared a toothy grin before nonchalantly telling them to run. Scared witless, they didn't need to be told twice; they bolted, running as if there were no tomorrow.

Overlooking his gruesome incursion to play mischief with the city, Samukai smirked to himself; Of all the times his army had raided on the mortal world long ago, never had his eyes seen such demolition. Ultimately, the metropolis had erupted into catastrophic mayhem and uncontainable chaos; a nightmare of unprecedented magnitude and ruinous destruction. Everything was falling into place, perfectly. There was a whole world to kill and nothing to stop him...

**A/N: So did this suck ass? Yes, it did, but I still pat myself on the back for trying something different! XD Feel free to leave me comments only if you have the time- you wouldn't believe what a tremendous help your feedback is! I would love to know what you guys thought of it!  
**

**Anyway, what a chapter! And I even split it in half due to its lengthiness hence it was all so much to take in at once. Look at me, bringing in badass Samukai XD Man, I love that that guy almost as much as I love Scales (especially because he's got his little snake family going on! That is just so darn cute)  
..I'm getting of the subject here.. Look out for part two of this chapter, I'm almost done editing so get ready to meet our ninja!**

**I hope you'll forgive me for the extended time I took to update, school just about killed me as I had finals this week. But hey! Summer's finally here! Well, for me anyway, and that means more chapter updates XD For those of you finishing off, I wish you a good rest of the school year, and for everyone who's already out, enjoy the beginning of summer vacation!**


	4. Hero Worship

**A/N: Has it really been that long since I've updated? I think I've made it clear to you that I'm a perfect procrastinator.. Well, you've got another lengthy chapter ahead of you! Again, rated 'T' for minor gore, persistent violence, and implied harsh scenes throughout.**

**Hero Worship**

The devilish king of the Underworld surveyed the streets with eyes that saw right to the soul of every person. Not until death claimed every last one of them, would it be the closest thing such a monster could come to satisfaction. Reaching down to his belt pouch, Samukai detached a small incendiary device resembling the shape of a skull. He raised it in the air and detonated the explosive he held before aiming to the stretch of buildings on his right. The bomb lands with a thunk, bounces to a stop, and blasts open in a fatal explosion of blinding light and agonizing screams.

All the once beauty of Ninjago City was no more than a deadly wasteland heavy with the smell of burnt flesh and suffocating smoke. Traumatized civilians were running for their lives, in all possible directions, as one bomb went off after another. Mortal wailing of men, women and children hung strangled in the unappeasable mist when the undead army incessantly attacked anything the fire did not. Silvia and Misako, with their aching feet driving them to no particular destination, collided into petrified people, who were screaming with their gory bodies. Tears cascaded down the brunettes cheeks in view of the fact that she witnessed innocent lives all around her drop dead to the derelict ground.

But then, just before the annihilated metropolis succumbed to hopelessness, a winged silhouette swept over the seas of bobbling heads from high above. The jumble of both humans and skeletons leaned into the forceful gust of wind, and raised their eyes to the underside of an enormous dragon soaring overhead with incredible speed. To the invaders' alarm, the city's excruciating cries and screams of terror smeared into a wild uproar of clamorous hollering, applauding and cheering as the mystical beast advanced toward the disastrous intersection.

Two frantic skeleton warriors, one armed in red, the other in blue, seemed to drag the entire army behind them as they flagged down their superior from some distance into the streets, "Boss! We've got company!"

Although Frackjaw and Krazi's forewarning was met with denial, Samukai's three stooges made a full-body turn, only to scope out two identifiable figures astride the back of an elemental dragon. Now, If Wyplash possessed a stomach, or any organs for that matter, it undoubtably would have found its way up his throat, therefore, the highly strung lieutenant knew _exactly_ who they were. Skull buzzing with possibilities, he felt his jaw twitch involuntarily as the guilt and culpability washed over his milky face. It would be nothing more than a dreadful countdown up until the 'big man' put the pieces together.

While Nuckal chomped down his claws to the quick, Kruncha drilled Wyplash with an incriminating stare, "Tell me I'm wrong. Weren't they the ones you were supposed to-"

"They're _alive_?!" The thunder voiced giant of a skeleton raged in sheer disbelief, "They're supposed to be dead!" Samukai's gloved hands instantly began to tremble from irritability, and he shot a look so deadly to his second-in-command that it literally made his spine shudder. As if the commander's flashing eyes were not threatening enough, his iron fist struck Wyplash by the neck and hauled him up to a ghastly face, "I gave you an order to kill them fifteen years ago! They were mere children- defenseless, powerless, helpless! How much simpler could that have been?!"

"It was Akyra! She hid them!" The poor creature gasped for air while his justifying tongue spat out a futile explanation, "We searched the entire monastery inside and out! By the time you ran her through, the Spinjitzu Master had already wiped out nearly half of us!"

Samukai, in no mood to take the other's pointless utterance into consideration, slammed him to the concrete in pure, unadulterated anger. He stepped over the scrambling form at his feet, and then assigned fault to the cowering generals ranked next below Wyplash, "I hold all three of you accountable for this, so don't think you two dimwits are getting out of this any easier!"

On behalf of their own defense, Nuckal held up a finger to protest, "But to be fair, Master Samukai, we did manage to-"

"Shut up!"

"Ahh!" The scrawniest flinched back, nervously laughing, "That's me shutting up, right now."

In the midst of this admiration and hero worship, the square spilled over with a congested maelstrom of crowds, all of whom hoping for at least a glimpse of their idolized heroes flipping off the descending fire dragon. On the far side of the intersection, four tabi boots touched down in perfect unison, causing a powerful shockwave to uproot the streets and intimidate the savage army into fear. Amid the smoke's nebulous glow rose two extremely athletic builds concealed in a distinctive, form-fitting attire of silver and dark slate; their flesh was completely hidden, all except for a small slit around their eyes. Varying between the ninja, an assortment of either gold or silver armor accentuated both suits' authentic design.

Samukai was by then in such a state of consternation, that he stood rooted to the spot, numb and slack-jawed. The injustice of his unanticipated predicament sent waves of fury down his hunched spine. A recovering Wyplash reclaimed his place alongside the fuming monster who seethed through clenched fangs, "What are you waiting for?"

A great horde of fiendish skeleton soldiers impatiently awaited the rallying call, until finally, the lieutenant's reverberating outcry sent them on their way, "ATTACK!"

Poised defensively aside the other, the ninja dripping in silver drew himself up courageously, "Stay sharp, brother, whatever happens, never let your guard down."

The fearless, slate grey ninja nodded, his violet eyes ignited with fierce determination, "Let's finally put these weapons to some good use!" That being said, he reached behind the back of his suit and drew two luminous weapons glistening of solid gold. A resonating storm of healed boots and maniacal shouts grated against his eardrums as he clamped the lethal instruments. "Look alive, Wu," the taller willed himself into action, "It's showtime!"

Released into the streets to do what they did best, the sadistic army charged, uncontrollably and barbaric, raising their death-dealing weapons high above their heads. In similar fashion, the ninja met them head on, dodging, slashing and striking blades, while clashing their own legendary weaponry against the enemies'. As relentless as it was violent, the overpowering scene unwrapped before the open-mouthed crowds. Misako felt her unblinking, emerald eyes widen with amazement. Everything about the pitched battle looked and felt heroic, emphasizing the bravery and phenomenal skill of the masked vigilantes. They had seemingly superhuman abilities, enhanced senses and extraordinary strength, yet the brothers' favored martial arts style was quite opposite. The silver ninja fought with a strong sense of dignity and honor, while the vigorous grey ninja kicked, slashed and brawled in spasmodic bursts, doing anything to win.

Sweat pouring as he strained and defended, the grey embodied ninja stooped low, preparing for a leading skeleton warrior's attack. "The darkness returns, ninja! Have you come to witness the destruction of Ninjago?!" Chopov's vocals rang demonically as he lunged at the teenager, who dodged, reacting on pure instinct. To follow up, he threw an expert roundhouse kick to the side of the skeleton's military helmet, instantly dropping the soldier. Consequently, it was one assault after another. Assuming the infantrymen kept the ninja occupied, Bonezai was astonished after his incoming fist was caught dead center in the palm of the boy's hand. The defender flicked an eyebrow, "Why try?" He then crushed his gloved fist around the one he strangled and, at the same time, twisted the arm behind the aggressor to bend the creature forward unbearably. In the wake of the dry snap of bone came the undying ring of metal on gold as a great number of armed forces surged towards him.

Tearing through a haze which partially obscured the streets, the lighter shaded ninja made a mid-air twist and landed feet fist on the ground as an extensive tide of skeletons washed over. "Let's dance, hero!" An aggressive soldier with a face caked in clown makeup ramped towards him, drawing his sword, however, the Scythe of Quakes was faster. Allowing himself no physical rest, the heroic combatant kept himself on his toes, and darted to the side a split-second ahead of a swinging blade. He easily blocked and parried and deflected the persistent whirlwind of attacks flying from every direction.

The uninterrupted war between light and shadow seemed to go on forever and, hence a great amount of skeletal denizens of the Underworld rose up from every street corner, implying an inexhaustible supply of soldiers barreling straight towards Ninjago's heroes. The darker ninja pulled in a deep breath before pumping his weight onto his hands and simultaneously clobbering two boneheads rushing on either side of him. He stands and flips backwards, landing with acrobatic grace behind a horde of living dead. As soon as they spotted him out, he threw his muscular arms downward and, with a flick of each wrist, his fingertips bursted into a flaming current of amethyst energy bolts. Dark lightning pulsated throughout his folded fists as he and the immortal stampede met in the middle; both decapitated and electrocuted warriors streaked across the blackened sky, some fifty feet away, plowing through building windows near and far. Then, with lengthened strides, he managed to vault over nine skeletons and crush the tenth's skull under his black clad heels while landing back-to-back with his brother.

Meanwhile, all four astonished generals watched the unceasing battle from afar. It wasn't long before the ninja had gained the upper hand as the unexpected practice of Spinjitzu blasted out the approaching wave of soldiers. In no time the streets were littered with a considerable number of either still, unconscious, or completely demolished warriors, not to mention the idiots who simply chose to lie down and play dead.

Kruncha scoffed, utterly disgusted, "Do they really think it would be that easy?"

"They have no idea what they're up against." Samukai growled and then motioned to his remaining unit of infantry whom stayed behind, "Let's finish this boys."

**A/N: Sorry! Had to split it up again! The problem is that it's getting so long that my eyes are starting to cross whenever I revise it from the beginning to the end. I'll save you the eye crossing XD**


	5. Waiting for Superman

**A/N: Now this one's a total brain strainer, but if you think you're ready to take it on, go for it! Same content warnings apply.**

**Waiting for Superman**

Amid the plumes of smoke surfaced an unremitting storm of soldiers working to build an inescapable encirclement around the two masked defenders. Completely surrounded in soldiery, the brothers whipped their heads around with a sense of arrant foreboding as one end of the battalion paved the way for an unpleasant assumption. Strangely enough, a brief silence fell over the army, which was shortly broken by the sound of heavy footsteps and the desperate breathing of the teenage heroes who looked up to see the king of the Underworld standing before them.

"Well, if it isn't Wu and Montgomery Garmadon. My, my how much you two have grown..." The devil clucked his tongue, driving his crimson eyes over the Spinjitzu Master's descendants. Although they regarded him with still silence, Samukai smugly went ahead to dwell on their misfortune, as well as to gloat about how powerless they were to stop him.

He was mid-sentence when the one draped in metallic silver cut him off, "What purpose do you have here, Samukai?"

The skeleton-like giant pushed forward, hissing with a sinister grin, "Only to return for the Weapons of Spinjitzu, which I understand Aslan has foolishly entrusted the both of you with. Soon, I will have the unfathomable power that flows through those weapons! Hand them over, and a new world awaits you!"

Wu adjusted his grip on the Scythe of Quakes and fanned out the Shurikens of Ice, "You'll have to take them from us." Neighboring on him, Garmadon did likewise with his own share of the Golden Weapons.

Quite amused off the teenagers' playful invitation, Samukai's chuckle came dismissively, "Unfortunately, I'll have to take a raincheck on that game. I'm running on a tight schedule."

"So are we!" The overconfident slate grey ninja readied himself, warming up the Sword of Fire and Nunchucks of Lightning.

The skeletal demon cocked a jagged scar above his right eye. It was rather pleasing to him, knowing he had gotten them right where he wanted them, where they knew they were decisively on top before their unforeseen extinguishment. At the shing of a dagger being unsheathed, their challenge was accepted. "Prepare yourselves for a battle you shall never forget!" The commander strained his booming voice over countless singing blades as his men resealed the barricade in front of him. "KILL THEM!" And so the inexplicable chaos ensued with gruesome death rattles of Samukai's foot soldier's as one by one they were hurled in the air, bashed against towers, shattered through windows and smashed into streetlight poles. As the tide began to turn in favor of the ninja, Samukai paced back and forth, constantly screaming at the top of his lungs, "Morons! Get them! Don't stop until they're dead!"

Darting in his periphery came Frackjaw trampling through the mayhem while he left the skeleton looters to haul loads of supplies into their vehicles, "That's everything, let's get out of here!"

"Not without those weapons!" His clawed fists balled up from stress and aggravation.

At this, Frackjaw, Kruncha and Nuckal silently suggested Wyplash to knock some sense into Samukai's thick skull. And that, he did. "I don't care if we summon the entire army- they'll go through them like a buzzsaw! If we don't retreat, every last one of us will be destroyed! And what happens if the Spinjitzu Master decides to make an appearance? With or without those weapons, we need to leave, _now_!"

Samukai's glower alone set off his undisguised contempt for the argumentative general. Turning his back on the four, he allowed a lower hand to return to his belt pouch, "Not even _he_ will stand in my way."

"What are you trying to do?!"

"Clearly these two have a hard time staying dead... Let's see how they deal with this!"

In a desperate frenzy, the lieutenant seized the immense forearm and yanked his superior backwards, "But you'll kill our own!"

"Know your place!" Samukai seethed in unmitigated anger by yet another display of questioning and defiance. In a smooth arc, his dagger's blade sliced through Wyplash's ribs as if they were barely there. The now disdained second-in-command was shoved out of his sight as he removed another explosive, this time targeting the populous main square with evil-intent.

Once again, the brothers wound up fighting side by side in the unprecedented war. Feeling energized as ever, the silver combatant delivered a crushing elbow to a belligerent warrior's attack and shot it plummeting through a brick building. To his right, the other unstoppable martial artist knocked around enemies left and right, effortlessly tossing three soldiers aside, and in the same motion, roughly kicking back another to send it careening into a tower alight with bursting advertisement boards.

"There's too many of them!" Wu's cry carried to his brother who busied himself ripping the skulls off the undead with his bare hands.

"I'll hold off these bastards while you take care of Samukai!" The darker shouted over the blades sizzling past, missing him every time.

"I can't just leave you!"

"Go!" Garmadon snapped a skeleton's spine in half, and used the two body parts as weapons of his own, "If we both die here, what will that accomplish?!"

The younger was about to argue, though wilted at his resolve just when an eruption of ear-splitting screams co-mingled in chorus with the consummate violence of Garmadon's melee. Leaving all the dirty work for his brother, Wu took off, scanning the nearly obliterated streets for any trace of their foe. He tucked and rolled over a number of helmeted skulls to land in a clearing of eddying smoke and, shoulder up, he wheeled around to face Samukai and his four blood-dry daggers.

"Now, we shall see how much you have learned from the Spinjitzu Master!" The hellish, four-armed general wasted no time between his phrase and murderous lurch.

A gleaming steel blade swung for the boy's head, but he ducked and rolled just in the nick of time. Rising in stance, Wu evaded the chase of daggers rushing for his flesh, and it was immediately apparent that this was not going to be easy. Even as his enemy pitched a reeling launch, the ninja parried not just one, but four slashes by darting his torso around so fast that he created a silver motion blur. Steel on gold hit faster and faster as the energy of their fight burgeoned with speed and intensity.

Greatly panting, Samukai pounced viciously, clashing all four twirling daggers against the Scythe of Quakes, "What you have is mine!"

"So, come and get it." Wu sneered under a silver mask and swung his leg around to bust his foot dead into Samukai's dangling jaw.

Infuriated, the hulking skeleton charged with absolute brutality and, surprisingly, the teenager was not quick enough to dodge the enormous fists coming down, hard and fast. Struggling to peel himself up off the road, the silver ninja painfully raised his head, and what he saw froze him rigid. It was not Samukai's malicious smile that struck horror into the blue eyes of the defender, but the collection of incendiary devices he tauntingly held out in front of him. The Underworld ruler took his precious time detaching each bomb, and all the while, kept an eye on the dazed ninja fighting to stay alert. Moments later, the explosives were tossed carelessly on all sides of the intersection, welcoming a resounding outcry of panicked human wailing.

During all of this, the darker concealed ninja took on the nonstop surge of hundreds, easily obliterating troop after troop. With a screaming battlecry, Garmadon lunged at a progressing soldier with full force, the whistling blades lasering through it's framework until the bones separated in mid-air like an unstitched rag doll. For each skeleton he destroyed, more and more rose up from the smoke. Swiftly and fluidly, the ancient blade the grey fighter wielded was rammed deep into the ground to unbury an outburst of fiery orange so fatal that it devoured anything and everything around it.

Not too far from the Sword of Fire's disturbing inferno, Silvia and Misako made their getaway, dashing along the intersection's side streets while bringing their hands up to their ears with every mushrooming erruption. Their throats and lungs burned horribly, and the coughing fits began, for the blackened smoke rolled in like the ash of a rumbling volcano. By then they found themselves buried in a darkness so total that the girls eventually lost sight of one another. The brunette was going against the wild swarm, craning her neck and frantically calling her friend's name when a tumultuous outbreak dissipated beyond the sidewalks. Ruthlessly blown to the stress waved ground, Misako turned onto her side and took in another explosion of unearthly color and blinding light as several more bombs went off simultaneously around her. As the teenager began to recover her consciousness, she incidentally felt a searing burst of pain throbbing up and down the shinbone in her left leg, where thick rivers of blood pooled around the bomb's thrown fragmentation of shrapnel cut deeply through raw skin. Despite this unimaginable discomfort, the girl scrambled to her feet after watching the last of the mob disappear into the smoke. Jarring and shaking, Misako trudged along, gritting her teeth with each dragging step.

From a short distance away, Garmadon winced at the flying sparks while he deflected the mace slashes of a psychopathic warrior wearing a red and blue jester hat. It was that exact moment when he sensed a bomb sticking to the bricks of a nearby skyscraper. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sight of a young woman unstably crossing beneath the six-storied building willing to give way at any given moment. With a sudden burst of strength, the ninja blocked another mace thrust from Krazi and used the Nunchucks of Lightning to drive the skeleton back far into the streets. Before he was even aware of making a conscious decision, Garmadon bolted, covering the uneven pavement with an all out sprint.

A faint beeping noise demanded the brunette's attention as she uneasily stepped over the upheaved cement. Subsequent to her investigation of the disquieted sound, Misako became fully aware of what was to come. She dropped her jaw so as to scream for someone to hear her, but it was too late. A fireball of high-intensity wind followed numerous bomblet detonations, transforming her world into hell incarnate as fiery chunks of debris hailed toward the source of the explosion. Completely petrified, her brain shut down, offering no course of action for her trembling limbs to take. She stood motionless, drained of all hope, dreams and feeling from within.

Running faster than he ever knew he could, the ninja raced against the deterioration's countdown and, at the last possible second, tapped into his inborn elemental energy of dark lighting and rapidly spun himself into a tornado-like vortex spiraled with crackling electricity. Dangerously putting his life on the line to save this stranger, Garmadon tackled the girl in mid-air and brought her petite form down with him to crash into the concrete just as the final bomb flared up in a ferocious rupture. Within seconds after their landing, the tower shifted and collapsed in a deafening explosion behind them. The selfless hero could already feel a fierce protectiveness for this precious life trapped underneath him, and so he hovered over the girl, bent on sheltering every square inch of her body while she kept her head turned, whimpering at the showers of glass and gushing flames raining overhead.

Laying on her back, Misako labored to inhale, to exhale, to do anything. It was as if the impact had knocked every wisp of air from her lungs. Her mind was sent reeling, unable to comprehend what had occurred until she finally rolled her eyes up to her masked rescuer who sprawled himself over her, shielding her from the breakage. What she saw was quite unbelievable, shocking really. She pinched herself. Was this real? The brunette looked away, and then looked back to see if he was still there. He was.

The heavily breathing ninja shook his head clear and then gazed down upon the unforgettably gorgeous face inches apart from his. His low voice came full of concern, "Are you okay?" Totally stunned, Misako's mouth opened and shut with no sound coming out. It was hard enough trying to remember how to breathe. But to speak? That was out of the question altogether. He smoothed a gloved hand across her forehead, gently sweeping away her tousled, yet beautiful chestnut brown hair to fully examine her rather unsettling condition, "Talk to me. How are you feeling? Any dizziness, nausea, difficulty breathing?"

"...The breathing thing rings a bell." Misako weakly smiled at the man uncomfortably pressed up chest to chest with her. It was his cavernous eyes that shone instead- mesmerizing violet depths flecked with every shade of the color, glistening with burning determination. She drew in another shaky breath, "But then again, you are on top of me, cutting off my air supply."

"Right." He muffled laughingly under his mask, and somewhat reluctantly pried himself from their face-to-face clasp. As the girl began to sit up, the ninja was right there to aid, taking her tiny hand in his, "Take your time, I got you." He carefully supported her lower back, "Sit up straight, there you go. You're all right."

Wanting nothing more than to thank the man that saved her life, Misako turned her gaze upward to find his own bearing into her's, and she nearly lost herself. It seemed to her that something was going to happen, but in lieu the grey defender gave her hand one last squeeze and unexpectedly took to his heels, leaving her entirely mystified. The girl sat up fully in semi-blindness, watching her hero cartwheel over the hood of a crushed car as he threw himself back into the fray of utmost chaos.

**A/N: Can you imagine if I didn't separate these last three chapters? Phew, I'm sure it's more exhausting reading it than it was writing it XD I get all into it and the next thing I know it's like 5,000 words long! **


	6. Cold, Hard Revenge

**A/N: I would have gotten this out sooner but got busy with Fourth of July weekend AND my birthday. Both days were stretched into week long celebrations for me because we all know 24 hours is never enough! **

**Cold, Hard Revenge**

Impulsivity got the best of him, it was always so. Notwithstanding that his gut feeling told him to stay, it was the rushing adrenaline spiderwebbing through Garmadon's system that shut down his ability to think logically. In spite of himself, the sprinting ninja snuck a glimpse over the shoulder to make certain no further harm befell the vulnerable damsel in distress, for her gruesome injury would surely bring about a welcome temptation to the Skullkin Army. Yet with no intention of turning back once more, he gained ground for a continuous hand spring to dive into a much anticipated skirmish.

"Don't interfere with my plans," The materializing king of the Underworld pulled his generals with him like he did shadows, "I won't harm you again."

In the face of the devil himself, the masked fighter took a defensive position and stared down the circling villain with bleak, unforgiving eyes, "Stand down, Samukai, you may still survive this."

"I have survived worse, young Garmadon." Samukai lingered for a few seconds, locking eyes with his enemy like a gunslinger. "Now, we can either do this the easy way, or the-"

"Yeah, yeah, or the hard way." Garmadon flourished the Sword of Fire with an extravagant gesture, "But I think you know my choice."

Unlike the younger sibling, it was evident this one was no easy pushover. Come hell or high water Samukai would discover a way to bend those nerves of steel, regardless. "...When all is said and done, it is your foolishness that will take you on a short road of death- the exact road your mother took- and frankly, it would be a shame to have to watch her beloved first born follow in her footsteps..."

"You coward!" The unrestrained screech erupted from the teenage boy boiling over with fierce hatred.

"Perhaps the same should be said to you." Samukai brandished a single bone hilted dagger, "You are nothing more than a helpless boy trying to prove yourself as powerful as your father," he paused, "without those weapons you are _nothing!_" The hard-bodied skeleton suddenly strikes, lashing out with the fury of a wild animal at the grey martial artist dodging in complete readiness for the attack. Their weapons clashed back and forth, sending sparks dancing along the ringing collision of steel and gold. Garmadon skillfully matched each dagger's fury and used the combined elements of fire and lightning to great effect against his victim; and hence shot the ferocious monster careening into a tower stacked of electronic billboards.

Streaming flames avalanched overhead a blazing Samukai who recovered mid-fall like a cat. Again Garmadon charged full-force with another haymaker, which Samukai effortlessly caught in one heated fist, "See that?!" Then it was his turn to boot a massive kick that sent the poor boy going ass over elbows straight into a flickering lamppost. "You think you can defeat me?! You will never win!" He moved in to assail the suffering ninja while murderously spinning all four daggers vertically.

Like the helpless boy Samukai confirmed him to be, Garmadon simply raised his quivering forearm up to his face just when the fiery demon swung what he believed would be the death blow. But hardly before the blades could finish him off, a golden twister blew in from out of nowhere and whisked the savage skeleton off his feet and spat him twenty feet through the air. Livid and fuming, Wu stepped over his brother's aching body and pinned eyes on the ancient evil regaining balance from afar.

Samukai snapped his neck to one side while carving a cruel grin upon his horrid features, "What's this? Wu stepping in for his big brother? How adorable."

"See, I'd like us to get along..." Wu started, "but I have the Syche of Quakes at my fingertips and I just happen to be really good at using it."

"If I must tear you apart, son of Aslan, I will!" That said, the two picked up unbelievable speed to tie up mid-stride. Fluidly, the silver combatant hurtled over the enemy's rapidly twirling saws, and not a moment too soon did he drop to the earth in a somersault to avoid the razor edged blades whistling down. Each time the knives were evaded with flexibility, though in like fashion to Garmadon's backfired attack, Wu's upcoming assault landed dead center in the crushing paw of his opponent.

"You've got spirit, kid, I'll give you that." The inhumane creature then cracked the silver ninja across the face hard enough to send him sailing recklessly. When the stunned teenager failed to find his feet, Samukai immediately saw his opening and began stalking in the direction of his challenger, obsessive about hacking him to pieces. As a terrifying ring bit the air, a short angled blade came slashing down at Wu's neck only to be knocked clean out of the pitiless hand that wielded it.

With the light of pure madness in his eyes, the lionhearted slate grey ninja rejoined the brawl and aggressively leapt onto Samukai from behind. He grunted, clasping the arched spine with all his might while the exasperated skeleton violently thrashed himself forward and back. Garmadon lodged both feet between the gaps of the lower ribs, grabbed hold of the samurai helmet's brow and, after locking himself in place, he pushed with his feet and pulled with his hands, causing a howling Samukai to bend back impossibly. The screaming general went totally insane, flailing his lower set of arms in a desperate search for the tenacious ninja latching on like a magnet.

But then, Garmadon's world was flipped upside-down without any warning as an abrupt seize by the ankle rocked his squirming body around to dangle uncomfortably in the face of his foe. Violet eyes narrowing beneath furrowed brows, the upturned ninja swayed completely defenseless in the concrete grasp of Samukai who elevated the vexed boy ten feet above the ground, "I think I'll keep you around for a while. I won't kill you now. You're just too much fun."

Hanging wrong side up, Garmadon felt his own vomit seep to his throat and, before he knew it, he was up in the air, soaring weightless in a pitched flight that dumped him almost fifty feet beyond the intersection. The thrown ninja finally hit the ground with a terrible crunch and skidded the rest of the way across the blood-splattered pavement, convulsing. An expansive shadow crept upon him in the struggle to lift his head up and see his mother's murderer uncontrollably flying at him with the same bloodthirsty intentions.

The desire to inflict cold, hard revenge appealed to Garmadon like a reopened wound, therefore he would hold an eternal grudge until he either died or took vengeance, whichever came first. And so he rolled onto his side at the critical moment, flipped his black clad feet up and beat them strongly onto Samukai's chest armor with a force as powerful as to send the skeleton plowing backward through not only one building, but three entirely. Samukai drooped with all the willpower of a dead snake while semiconsciously fighting to stay alert. "Show off," He scoffed under his breath and raised a trembling knee, cautiously dragging himself off the uprooted tile showered in glass shards. He was painfully emerging from the brick wall's hole in which he drilled through earlier when Kruncha, accompanied by Nuckal and Wyplash, breezed into the scene.

Off Wyplash's 'I told you so' look, Samukai smoothly reflected it with a reassuring, "All according to plan." After all, it was just another status update so they would only ever worry when he stopped repeating the phrase. He wouldn't dare let them in on the fact that they were about to get this loss added to their permanent failure record. "We could stop them, but I'm sure today's events will put a complete end to their megalomaniac tendencies. Now if you'll excuse me, I have two very unpleasant people on my tail." He struck his still pending second-in-command by the arm after turning the others loose to round up whatever infantry they had left, "Get me the hell out of here!"

"Retreat! Everyone, retreat!" Just like that the hellish denizens of the Underworld fled the mortal world as eerie and barbarous as they had arrived. The shaking earth began to rumble while growling skull trucks uncontrollably flashed down the streets, collecting scattered foot soldiers along the way. Weakened but far from defeated, the skeleton king caught the side of his roaring vehicle with a gasping, "Consider this a warning, ninja!" and then viciously threw out a final threat before disappearing into the fog, "This isn't over! You haven't seen the last of us!"

Not even a split-second prior to the ninjas' victory a cacophony of applause and cheering, whooping, hollering and clapping spontaneously outpoured through the charged air as the palpable excitement of thousands crammed onto the darkened streets where the two superhuman vigilantes stood. A mixture of sheer alleviation and traumatic disbelief settled on everyone's faces, including the glorified heroes' who were instantly bombarded with camera flashes, reaching hands, and unmanageable praise and worship doubling by the shout. In strict motions the patrol officers shuffled through the unruly sea of wounded civilians and pushed several people onward to seek medical attention; one of them being the exact young woman that the slate grey ninja risked everything for. He picked her out of the crowd straight away, for her beauty was beyond anything he had ever seen in a human being. Though, like an image he wished to remember, she had gone and left no traces that would help recreate it...


	7. Forgive and Forget

**A/N: I'm heading back down to Texas this morning, like right now actually so I'm not too certain you will be hearing from me any time soon unless I find some 'me time'. I was born and raised in Austin but I moved up to the midwest in December as of last year so I'm ****psyched up to visit home for two whole weeks!**

**Forgive and Forget**

Wreathed in thick wisps of stratus cloud in the northernmost highlands of Ninjago ran an immeasurable system of mountain ranges known as the Mountains of Impossible Height. Atop a segmented region's summit perched the Monastery of Spinjitzu; a place of peace so remote, so hidden, so secluded that no man living had ever heard of it, let alone seen it. Somewhere along the dangerously steep mountainside ascended two blackened figures who habitually camouflaged with the indigo layers of nightfall. Although a much easier route pointed a direct staircase to the temple, the young Spinjitzu masters voluntarily went the extra mile at their own will.

Beneath tattered and bloodied hands crumbled boulders of every size that detached from the rocky crag as each ninja gained altitude up the pinnacle's face. Heedfully digging his tabi booted feet into the cliff, the slate grey defender passed a supercilious glance to his opposite naturally falling behind, "You alright there, little brother?"

"Never better." The one dripping in silver fizzed. Needless to say, he was irked off Garmadon's senseless ambition as to mask the unbearable amount of pain he endured just so he might appear bulletproof, which they both knew was far from the truth. Wu's exerted limbs trembled laboriously when he gave one last clamber to reach the crest of the mountain, for as the name indicates, you can only imagine the journey. There should have been a magnificent view from where he stood, but it had been blotted out by the encroaching darkness of twilight.

The heavy twin gates swelled and groaned as the brothers slipped through its awe-inspiring entrance and then began to limp their way across a sandstone courtyard. Open to a starless sky, the unroofed area provided an outdoor training facility with various underground devices that would spring up at just the click of a button. In addition, two wooden racks were supplied against each extremity for collective weaponry storage and training gear equipment.

Therefore, in order to test Wu and Garmadon's burgeoning strengths and capabilities, the courtyard had undergone several refinements over the past years; hence each of the modifications demonstrated the wishes and training philosophy of the First Spinjitzu Master. This course, where his sons were first exposed to the mysterious art of Spinjitzu, was said to be the most hazardous training layout in the history of Ninjago. Nevertheless, both of them mastered the treacherous obstacle gym at such an astounding young age of ten.

Most importantly, the monastery commanded attention on the yard's central axis where, erected upon a raised platform projecting in front of the temple's entry, the most powerful being known to man assumed his sons' arrival.

It was not only Ninjago's inhabitants who deeply revered the First Spinjitzu Master. Wu and Garmadon did as well, and they held an even higher regard of him as his students. This man never expected more of them than he gave himself, yet no daylight fell without demanding every ounce of their mortal beings and then a little bit more. He slammed purpose and dreams into their heads and drove them to train until their bones screamed, though what he gave in return was almost unthinkable to the mind, hard to describe really. Above all else, he was much more than a father figure to them, he was a hero. Regardless of what lurched beyond the other side, they would follow him anywhere, into any battle, no hesitation. But when the brother's swore an oath to defend Ninjago at all costs, their solemn promise became a whole lot heavier as their father withdrew from the responsibility and stepped aside, allowing his boys to supersede him.

Aslan, familiarly bathed in a kimono glowing of gold, strolled forth empty-handed to approach his proteges who, despite the extreme sense of enervation and fatigue, stiffened themselves militarily and stood at attention before their master. As soon as the masks were uncovered his rough fingertips naturally met the very bloodied, bruised and swollen face of his youngest. The ugly gashes caused him to sigh in disheartenment, "It seems I have underestimated Samukai...His army was far more troublesome than I ever imagined..."

"Why now suddenly, after so long?"

As if he needed to be reminded of the other's existence, the old man flicked his gaze to his slightly neglected oldest, "It was not an unpredicted ambush. Do not forget: one year in your sight is equivalent to a single night watch in the Underworld. Must I also remind you there will be everlasting shadow among us as long as the balance between good and evil is maintained." He then moved on to look over Garmadon's disturbing condition, "Still you must always prepare yourself for the impossible, my son, for evil never sleeps."

The brunette's head dipped with the chagrin he suffered after his battle, but more so to avoid his father's up-close inspection. Seeing his mortification, Aslan lifted his child's gory face with a strong hand, "Keep your chin up," and then spoke with a slow mix of softness and reassurance to both, "Tonight you have learned the greatest truth of the Ninja: that ultimate mastering comes not from the body, but from the mind. Together, there is nothing your two minds cannot accomplish. Help one another, draw upon each other, and always remember the power that binds you." The elderly man pulled back, facing each of them, "You both have made me proud tonight. I knew you would not fail." With that, he smiled. Maybe 'smile' wasn't the right word for it- on anyone else, it would be a grimace, at best. On this wizened face, however, it was a sign of bliss and gratification.

Not without carefully gathering all four Golden Weapons would he part. "I cannot ask any more of you. Given what you have done, I believe you earned the right to enjoy your retirement for the night...Tomorrow is a new day. My advice is to get some sleep."

Wu and Garmadon gave a perfunctory nod as Aslan turned, started up the monastery's floating platforms and left the sliding shoji doors ajar in his wake. The golden haired boy waited until Aslan's shadow was lost before he elbowed his brother, "You know what that means."

The older's mouth twitched, and Wu was pretty sure he was fighting off a guilty smile. "We did leave quite a mess down there, didn't we?"

"We always do," He imitated Garmadon's manner in which he spins out of his suit, and then followed him a step behind. "Who knows how long it will take to restore everything back to the way it was. Most of the city is in ruin, if not all of it."

"Could take weeks, could take months," the brunette mumbled, shrugging off the thought. He was more concerned that he could barely mount the entryway steps without toppling over. With each footfall the pain amplified to force a more pronounced limp.

Five uneasy strides and the brothers were stumbling down the main hall arrayed with few antique furnishings positioned in nestled arrangements. A dark, tangled maze of rooms and chambers branched off on either side of the corridors which lead to the living quarters in the monastery's secondary elements. Aslan would remind them that the less important complexes were originally designed to be minimalist, in which they offered nothing other than their essential needs. The meaning behind this was to retain the idea that they were to live a simple acetic life, rather than obtaining the unnecessary earthly comforts and possessions to live. This way his sons would focus on fully dedicating their lives to overlook the land of Ninjago with watchful eyes.

While Garmadon steered left into the first chamber, Wu wearily took a direct right and found his way into the washroom. Loaded down with medicines, antibiotics, towels and bandages, he crossed into the decrepit sitting room where his brother lay on his back, slumped over an elmwood black leather sofa.

"Oh-h-h," Garmadon groaned in exhaustion and stretched out, lazily kicking his bare feet up on the hooked end.

"You look like hell," Wu cautioned as he neared.

The opposite waved him off dismissively, and closed his tired eyes, "I'm alright."

"Yeah, keep telling yourself that." He slapped a cold compress onto Garmadon's head, "leave this on," and then nearly collapsed into an armchair adjacent to the occupied sofa.

The brunette reared and propped himself against the cushions using one arm, the other secured his head cloth, "This smell is repugnant."

"It can't be any worse than your stench. I can smell you from-" A thrown pillow nailed the blonde's face before he could even finish. Quietly snickering, he tossed the rolled cushion aside and began sifting through the cleansing supplies, "But really, you're making me gag."

Garmadon sat up straight, looking very irritated and unamused. The equipment piled onto Wu's lap caught his eye, "Mm, look who's the doctor now. What else do you have for me?"

Wu handed him a sewing needle and wire, "I would worry about that above anything." He gestured with his head to the blood-soaked laceration where a sword made its oppressive mark on the right bicep. "Stitch yourself up."

A small silence fell over the two as they busied themselves dabbing at their grisly cuts, slashes and wounds, as well as tending to either a seriously broken nose, a black eye or sprained limb. Eventually patched up in bandage strips of assorted sizes and wrapped up in rolls of elastic rap, the boys silently sprawled out in recovery. Wu's life-drained blue eye that wasn't hidden beneath a leaking ice pack was fixed on Garmadon, who concentrated on smoothing his last bandage around the side of his discolored abdomen. He watched as his older brother slumped back and collected himself, vacant eyes staring into space. The shallowness of his breathing told Wu that something deep inside this man has been used up.

A moment later Garmadon suddenly rose to his feet, dropped the now warmed rag behind him, staggered past Wu, and said with a stifled yawn, "I think I'll turn it in for the night." He had a foot planted on each side of the doorway when he was disinclined to glance over his shoulder, "Hey." This snagged Wu's curiosity. The younger male looked up. "Thanks for saving my ass. You did well." Garmadon did not wait for his reply, he whipped around as if he hadn't said anything, leaving Wu with the slightest trace of a grin creeping across his mouth.

Garmadon popped his head back around the corner, "I didn't mean any of that, you know."

Wu rolled his eyes, he knew that was coming at some point. "Get out of here."

**A/N: Rushed ending, no need to remind me. Used some bits from Little Miracles but doesn't matter, I'm rewriting it anyways. Alright, I gotta go, everyones yelling at me. See you in a few weeks!**


	8. The Man Behind the Mask

**A/N: I'm back home! This update was meant to happen a week ago.. Bear with me here, I'm struggling to find time just to log in these days. And having our wifi out while I was down in Galveston didn't help either. Hope this chapter will make up for time (:**

**The Man Behind the Mask**

As soon as conditions on the streets realistically allowed, Ninjago City's reconstruction began with the alignment of transportation crews and engineering to restore its spectacular beauty. Brick by brick, block by block, the impacted communities together redeveloped the ruin over a shocking six month period. Half a year later the glorified metropolis lit up with the busy hum of city life even more enthusiastically than before.

It was a Friday morning in June. Tides of pedestrians, of all ages and ethnicities, feverishly washed through the intersection in strive to enjoy what the beginning of another scorching hot summer had to offer. A wide variety of recently modernized shops lined the nose to tail traffic straight down the main roadway where tourists flocked to refurbished stores like fireflies to a lamp. Among many other window shoppers strolled twenty-year-old Garmadon who had surely passed the entrancing glass fronts of every new antique store, accessory shop, luxury boutique and souvenir kiosk for the umpteenth time that day.

It was not often the Garmadon brothers would trip to the bustling city. Their quiet visits came every once in a while, mainly to stock up on goods from herbalist stalls and open air markets upon their father's request. Well, at least one of them would anyway. The oldest on the other hand milled around without a fixed purpose, desperate to kill time for the most part.

Garmadon's frustration with the stop-start pace simmered like the humidity outside. Like any impatient, discourteous man would, he pushed and shoved his way through the congestion, beating pedestrians to the end of the crosswalk before it flashed again to "Don't Walk." You could say he was downright insolent, but that was precisely his way of capturing attention, sometimes without even trying, and that was all thanks to a supremely attractive face chiseled to perfection. One look and both women and men swooned at the sight of him no matter their sexual preferences, and just one wink had any girl flushing shades of red that no one ever knew was naturally possible. Of course this had borne a deeper arrogance into him, not to mention that superiority complex of his gave him a hideous ego in which he made no attempt to conceal.

Chimes of bells tinkled as he swung into the nearest building; a small street-corner bookstore at the end of the road. It was not so much the showcased hardcover novels that brought him in, but the suggested air conditioned interior. He was soon surrounded by shelf after shelf after shelf of alphabetically arranged books stacked well above his head. The earth tone shades of the carpet, walls and furniture were rather subduing, helping to uphold the hushed atmosphere being punctured by only the sound of faint jazz music and coffee brewing in the background.

While cruising down the isles, Garmadon came across a specialty table displaying bestsellers and "New Items", and with an uninterested sigh he pawed over a hard leather faced book. The cover opened, he thumbed through, rustled the pages, and after a moment let the book fall closed. Bored to death with at least fifteen minutes still to waste, he spun around impassively and took a blind slam into someone. To make matters worse, not only did he trip over their foot, but tumble downwards on top of them. In seconds this left Garmadon eye-to-eye with a breathtaking young woman. _The _woman. A beauty cut from marble. This very sight of the precious life he had saved hit him like lighting.

For Misako, the Earth stopped, and her eyes unhurriedly widened. Lined up directly above her, a familiar pair of cavernous violet depths looked out from a devilishly handsome face only to die for. There she lay, trapped beneath a man of any girl's dreams, whose charisma was embedded on a face that was molded from granite- strong and defined. His melded, flawless skin was bronzed in a rich "chocolatey" brown tan from the sun. And then his eyes- they were iridescent purple and ringed with indigo, where their almond shape gave an inkling of a more Asian appearance than Caucasian. His nose was straight and sharp; cheeks well hollowed. With dark, sloped brows the face would have been stern but for the humor that lurked about the playful mouth. My, oh my, even his lustrous, maroon hair had just the right hint of wave in its long, thick, burgundy streaked mane which swept predominately to one side and brushed against his broad shoulders.

Misako had never seen someone with such enticing features, but she knew, without a doubt, that this was the man behind the mask. What follows was one of those subtle yet unmistakable moments between two people instantly, mutually attracted- both unsure of what to do. It had happened some time before... She was living a moment that had already been lived. Then, in that fleeting moment of familiarity, all that might have been lived before deemed itelf brand new.

The left side of the man's lip tugged upwards, forming a small dimple alongside the sickly sweet tilt to his smile. His voice was seductively deep, and he spoke with a pleasant british lilt, "Remember me?"

"How could I forget?" Misako smiled back, her perky pink lips shaping a gentle heart.

"That was quite a tackle you had taken a while back," he referred to their first encounter, "I never got a chance to check up on you. Are you okay?"

"Yes. Yes, I'm good," She replied breathily, "I never got a chance to thank you."

"I did what I was brought up to do. No thanks necessary." He sat up and gently helped Misako to her feet, who nearly recoiled in shock as she watched the man rise up to an impressive height of about six feet eight inches tall. Compared to her just barely five feet five inches, it was safe to say this guy was a giant- and truly built like a tank, for his bulging muscles rippled across every part of his well-conditioned body. If she had to guess, he most likely tipped the scale at 215 pounds.

The seventeen-year-old had to bend her neck way back just so she could meet his alluring eyes, "No, it is. You saved my life. You saved all of our lives. What you did for me was..." Her voice trailed off. There were no words. The two strangers remained staring into the desirable eyes of one another.

"We have to stop meeting this way," he said as he took Misako by surprise when he firmly caressed her tiny hand in his larger. "You can call me Garmadon."

"_Just_ 'Garmadon'?"

"Montgomery." He corrected himself somewhat unwillingly, "Montgomery Garmadon."

She smiled gregariously at the the gorgeous boy who now had a name. Then shook his hand and gave away her own, "Misako Shintani."

"Misako..." He tried it out for himself in a tone slightly above a whisper, "That's a beautiful name. It suits you well."

She turned her head to the side to avert him, but the warm, rose-pink hue of her cheeks gave her away. She hurried on, with a hot blush, busying her hands by straightening a stack of already squared romance paperbacks on the table, "Thank you, _Garmadon_." She made sure she remembered to use the name he preferred she call him. Matter-of-factly, Misako informed him that she did work there, and that it was only fair he was treated as any regular customer. "So, did you find what you were looking for?"

"Yes." Her rescuer's closed-lip grin gave touches of his flirtatious character, "I'm looking at her."

Garmadon's completely unexpected answer caught her off guard. Blushing again would have been no issue, but what she did was go as red as a beetroot. Her next question came uncertainly, "What are you doing here, really?" _  
_

"I'm afraid I don't have an explanation as to why," he moved around the table beside her, "Though now that I'm here and had finally learned that beautiful name of yours, I must say I am finding myself unquestionably drawn to you.

One thing was clear to her: he was one of _those_ guys. She could tell he had a strong sexual interest in her just by the way he was speaking. She shot the flirty male a side-long glance, "What a line. Do you use that one on other girls?"

He chuckled dismissively, "What are you doing tonight?"

Again Misako is surprised; she couldn't believe her ears. Uncertainly, she lifted her head and looked him straight in the eye, "Excuse me?"

"I'm aware I may be coming on a bit strong, but you should know that when I see something I'm fond of, I go after it." Garmadon held her gaze with confidence, "And I don't stop until I have it."

His object of passion gripped the table's edges and leaned away giggling, "What are you referring to?"

"Why, you of course!"

Misako's forced laugh melted with his real one. She pointed a manicured finger at him, "You're good. I'm impressed."

Garmadon knew she was getting him all wrong, and he compensated for his confusing performance, "Well, no, please don't misunderstand my intentions. I'm not usually like this. Forgive me."

"No, you're fantastic. You really know what to say, don't you?"

Because her sarcasm worked to no avail, the strong-willed boy was right at it again, pushing the request of her company, "With your permission I would love to buy you a drink."

Misako froze in place, mentally weighing her options. She wanted to avoid the overused excuse of thinking up a fake significant other, let alone fibbing about her weekend plans in which she secretly had none. So in the kindest way possible, she politely declined his invite with grace, "I'm sorry..." She turned her apologetic gaze upward to see his fiery eyes haven't left hers, "This is a really bad time for me. I'm committed to my career right now... I hope you understand."

Garmadon didn't believe one word of that, and he could tell by her tensed body language that she didn't either. Of course she was going to lie to him! She seemed like a sweet girl, and hurting his feelings would be the last thing she wanted to do. Although he understood where she was coming from. She didn't know anything about him... Yet. Fortunately, the fact is that just like everyone else, even a striking woman like her will not know what she wants until she sees it, and that's where Garmadon's roll came in.

Her back was turned to face him while he sauntered up beside her, unashamedly blocked an arm across the shelf she was for no reason perfecting, and all too casually leaned over her, "Playing hard to get I see."

Closing her eyes, Misako pulled back and blew out an exasperated breath, "Listen, Garmadon, I understand the courage it takes to try to generate a relationship out of nothing, so don't take the following personally..."

He thought she looked even prettier when she was stern. "You have fantastic eyes."

The young girl laughed mildly, "Thanks. Um, try to listen. I..." She stammered as he tilted his head, still revealing that little, irresistible side-grin, "This is no reflection on you. Believe me when I say this, I'm flattered, just not interested. But thank you for the compliment." Little did she know, her utterance went in one ear and out the other.

"Your welcome. So do you like seafood?"

"Garmadon, seriously, that wasn't code for 'I wish you would try harder'."

"Is that a yes?"

"Yes- wait, No! No, it's not." One hand remained on her hip while the other pinched the bridge of her nose. "You have never taken 'no' for an answer before, have you?"

"How many times do you have to say 'no' before you give in?" Garmadon was more than determined to get what he wanted. He then reached down and carefully fingered the large, silver loop dangling from her right ear, "Those are very lovely earrings by the way."

Misako was at her wit's end with that boy. She wrapped five fingers around his thick-boned wrist and lowered it down to his side where it best be, "I'm going to stop you right there before you make a complete fool out of yourself," and she let him have it straightforward, "The answer is no."

She whirled around and took off down the book-walled isle without him. Garmadon's bold and stubborn personality burned through as he leaped in front of her out of no where, and clasped two hands around either of her arms. The one flicked eyebrow on his come-hither face made him appear all too arrogant, like any Casanova. "You say no a lot, don't you?"

"No." The teenage girl was about to leave him in the dust when she caught sight of that humorous smile- big and radiant, the kind that showed all straight, crystal white teeth. "Don't smile at me." She sincerely warned, "It won't do you any good." He laughed loudly at this, and she spurned him disdainfully, flipping her loosely braided hair behind her as she broke away from the assertive philanderer once more.

Still, Garmadon managed to catch her by the sleeve with a little too tight of a grip, "Wait a minute. I don't believe in the word 'no'."

Misako yanked back her arm and stormed off in a rush, totally snubbing him, "I need to go. It was very interesting meeting you, Garmadon."

"One date. That's all I am asking." He was chasing her up and around the isles, every single section she went. "Please, just here me out." He was practically begging in desperation by this time, but still continued without discouragement. "I would really, really like to take you out."

"Are you kidding me?" Misako stopped him dead in his tracks when she whirled around, looking beyond furious at the man whose face immediately matched her seriousness. He exhaled, eyeing her, daring her, sizing her up. "Any man... Who would risk his life to save mine..." Word by word her smile softly etched its way back into her pink lips, "Can definitely take me on a date."

Now it was Garmadon's turn to be surprised, though he wouldn't dare show it. He wore what he clearly thought was a broad, winning smirk, and then blurted suddenly, "Let's get dinner."

She nodded slowly, green eyes rolling downward in thought, "Okay, sure... That should be fine. I guess I could do Sunday-"

"No, I mean tonight."

She couldn't have heard what she thought she did. "I'm sorry, what?"

"Hmm?" He purposefully meant to trifle with her as he ducked forward to intrude on her five and a half foot tall eye line. Misako took an uneasy step backward, he was almost too close.

"Fine. How do I get rid of you?"

"Blue Palm Bar. Seven o'clock. And you can barely even call that a date." He stood towering over her, and playfully roughed up the top of her head, messing her side bangs to fall in her eyes as he threatened her, "Don't keep me waiting." With that, her date puffed out his chest and shuffled off to the front of the bookstore. Misako was speechless. The blatant pride and confidence in that man was seriously unreal.

Certain that Misako was watching, Garmadon stole one last glimpse at her, dreaming about getting to know that sweet face even better in their evening to come. However, he wasn't finished goggling until he accidentally rammed straight into the front door with a disturbing bang that jerked up several heads from all around the bookstore. Misako stood in shock some distance away, stifling a laugh beneath her fingertips as he tried to cover up his accident cooly by nodding to everyone that he was fine. "Pull, don't push," he pointed to Misako when he realized she had seen the whole thing, and then tolled the bells as he slipped out the door as fast as he could. Misako turned away, clutching a small stack of books to her chest. It was impossible to hide the smile he had given her.

**A/N: What a womanizer XD Yeah, I changed Misako's last name. Sounds better anyway. One of those things that just had to be done.**

**I can't believe some people are already back in school! Where has the Summer gone? Better enjoy it while it lasts ): **


	9. Calming of the Pre-Date

**A/N: Does anyone ever get so busy and caught up in their own writing that you can't even treat yourself to read the stories you're following? Ugh, it sucks!**

**Calming of the Pre-Date**

"Misako, this is huge! When was the last time you went on an actual date?"

With her right ankle crossed over her left knee, the long-haired brunette balanced on one foot, unbuckling her mid-calf strapped boots in the entrance hall of her modest apartment. "It's friendly, Silvia." Misako reminded her friend, "Not a date date."

"Come on, you have to be a little excited. You're going out with a freaking Spinjitzu master, for crying out loud! Just give me the details already!"

Unconcerned about her night to come, Misako stooped down, picked up her boots and passed by Silvia on her way to her bedroom, "We're going out for dinner and a drink. It's not a big deal."

"When and where?" Silvia pestered.

"He's making reservations for us at a place called the Blue Palm Bar," she responded indifferently. "I've never heard of it up until today. Is it any good?"

"I've eaten there once, and from my experience I think you'll approve." Silvia plunked down beside Misako on her queen sized bed. "It's oceanfront beach dining, outrageously expensive, very fancy, and..." she bobbed near her friend's ear, "Romantic."

"Silvia..."

"I'm just saying," she giggled. "Anyways, it's a seafood joint- the best sushi you can eat. A boyfriend comes in handy when you want to dine out like that."

Misako muttered irritably, "I don't have time for a boyfriend."

"You said that three years ago, hon."

"It's as true today as it was then." Misako fell back, collapsing exhaustedly on her neatly spread comforter.

The dark haired girl rose to her feet and stared down at her reclusive friend who hid her face beneath a decorative pillow, "You are becoming a sick, workaholic lunatic..."

"I don't even like seafood." She blurted.

"Learn to!" The pillow was then ripped out of Misako's hands and tossed aside by Silvia. "You owe that man your life. The least you could do is let him buy you dinner. Now what time is he expecting you?"

"Seven o'clock sharp."

Silvia's hand shot out frantically for Misako's silver wrist watch that read 5:32 PM. "That's in less than two hours!" Panic-striken, she screamed and reeled in an unenthused Misako from her bed, "Let's get you dressed!"

The ecstatic female began tearing through a decluttered and very organized reach-in closet. One by one, the undesired clothes piled up by the heap before Misako. "What's the rush? Two hours is more than enough-"

"Do you still have that green maxi dress you wore to your graduation party?" Silvia poked her head around the corner in question. Misako opened her mouth to answer but Silvia beat her to it. "Never mind. Found it!" A long, sleeveless, emerald tie-dye dress was slipped off its hanger.

The lighter haired teenager looked about it in doubt with a finger pressed to her lips, "Don't you think it's-"

"The perfect dress? Not without these shoes!" She forced the dress and a pair of flat sandals into Misako's arms, and then spun her around and danced her into the conjoined bath. "Throw this on. We have no time to loose!" A speedy change later and from the bathroom emerged Misako looking gorgeous as ever. Silvia smiled, extremely proud of her choice of dress, "It looks stunning. It really does."

The seventeen-year-old shifted her eyes towards the full-length mirror reflecting an image she very much liked. "You really think so?"

"A figure like yours can wear anything. That dress was made for you."

Misako plopped herself down on the cushioned bench of her vanity. She watched Silvia unraveled her long braid from behind, where loose, beach-wave curls tumbled well past the middle of her back. Once the glasses were removed, Silvia tamed the flyways and let down the naturally wavy spirals over Misako's shoulders.

Silvia uncapped a shimmering lipgloss of a neutral tinted shade. "Okay, start over. Tell me how you first realized it was him."

Misako drew in an exaggerated breath and then exhaled slowly, "Where do I begin?"

* * *

Wu sat in the courtyard with the lower part of both legs folded towards his body. A shuriken blade scraped against a whetstone as he sharpened the weapon with practiced grace.

"Wu!" His brother's disembodied voice bellowed from inside the monastery. Not so long after, the sliding doors slammed open to welcome a frenetic barrage of footsteps hurriedly pounding down the floating platforms behind him. Garmadon skidded around Wu and flashed his hands. "How do I look?"

"Incredibly handsome," Wu answered without an eye leaving the shredding weapon, "All men want to be you. All women want to be with you."

"Could you look at me before you answer?"

The blonde gave his working hand a break so he could contemplate his brother thoroughly. A goofy grin swirled his mouth when he stymied laughter and turned back to the whetstone, "I stand corrected."

Garmadon snatched up the hand-held blade and waved it officiously in the curiously older-looking face of Wu, "Let me make one thing clear to you. For once, I am in desperate need of your help."

He bursted a gut laughing, and beckoned the worked-up male until he was within reach, "Well that is for damn certain. And I'm glad you can admit it." He started by straightening the off centered collar and then began to rebutton the rather snug fitting shirt.

"I did that already."

"Yeah, that's why I'm redoing it," snickered Wu as he fixed the unaligned buttons. "So, remind me again how you stumbled into this girl."

Knowing this would never slip from Wu's mind due to its pure humor, Garmadon sighed heavily and reminded him for the third time within the last two hours, "I fell on her." And there went Wu again, suffering in gales of crying laughter.

"At least you got a good story out of it right?" He squeaked between hysterical breaths.

Agitated, the older looked as if he were in a hurry to leave, "Yes, hilarious. Now if you'll excuse me I'll be in my room busy sweating through half a dozen different shirts."

Wu eventually snapped out of his fit, "I'm sorry, you're right. You need my advice."

While fanning his underarms, Garmadon panicked, "Make it quick. I'm pitting out over here."

"Relax," the younger took his brother by the shoulders, "Okay, listen, you're fine."

"No. No I'm not." He fretted, "I don't know the first thing about women."

"When it comes to women all you have to do is be yourself. Don't pretend to be someone you're not. Though in your case you don't necessarily have to be completely honest." He looked up to see Garmadon's deadpan face, clearly unamused off his joke. Wu only shrugged, "You asked my advice, and I'm sincerely giving it."

"Well, what do I say?"

"She's already out with you. That is to say she said yes when she could have said no. Which means she made an arrangement when she could have just blown you off one last time. It's no longer your job to make her like you. It's now your job not to mess it up. But remember, a first date is also your opportunity to ruin a relationship forever."

"On dates- what do they like to hear?"

"Well... You might start by complementing her dress." Wu advised smartly from his own experiences with two women he had courted in the past. "And don't get nervous around her. Women smell fear. Even through that cologne you're wearing, which is unreasonably strong by the way."

"It was essential, believe me."

"Next time don't overdo it. Oh, most importantly: when she's speaking, make sure to never stare at her mouth or her chest. Don't be wondering what she looks like naked. Listen to what she is saying and respond politely."

Garmadon nodded to himself in acknowledgment, letting it all sink in, "Listen and respond politely."

"My overall advice for you tonight..." Wu poked his older sibling in the chest, "Don't eat like a damn vulture."

"Got it down," the brunette pulled a thumbs up and hightailed it back up the ivory coated steps.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa." Wu just barely grabbed hold of the opposite's elbow, "Where do you think you're going?"

"Cologne."

"Oh, no you don't." The blonde ushered an excessively perfume scented Garmadon across the courtyard. "It's never a bad idea to arrive a half hour before the time you will be expecting her. That way you can find your table, order your drinks and fill up on appetizers so you're not licking your plate clean before she even picks up her fork."

"Oooh," Garmadon glanced over his shoulder, finding that last tip exceptionally wise, "I like you."

"Sure you do."

"All right then. I'm heading out." He pushed open the heavy gate doors and, giving a perfunctory swipe of the hand, he was on his way out. "Sayonara."

"Goodbye. And good luck!"

**A/N: Gotta love those first date jitters XD I know updates have been extremely slow, though I'm doing the best I can at trying to stay on top of them.**

**Help me out: does anyone know the exact date of Ninjago's next episode? If I don't see some new Garmy soon, whatever I do in reaction will be a surprise even for myself. Beware. **


	10. Instant Connection

**A/N: An excessively long chapter ahead of you to counterbalance the delay(: **

**Instant Connection**

Under the bloodred orb's ruby sunlight, Misako surveyed countless tables that filled a tropical, outdoor deck diner on the glorious oceanfront. She was nothing short of amazed at the languorous seascape flattened out everywhere she looked. Yet, the farther she mazed through the noisy deck, a much more lovely sight awaited her. Seated alone at a candlelit table for two, an inattentive young male hovered over a menu. All she could see was a wavy, burgundy highlighted mane that swished gently over a pair of pitch black Aviators.

Misako approached the faceless man slowly, tentatively. "Garmadon?"

At the sound of her soft vocals, mellower than most female's, the man raised his head, quite literally going dry-mouthed at the sight. There stood petite Misako, gowned in a crossback, ankle-length dress that slit from hem to thigh and especially hugged her hourglass figure. Her sun kissed shoulders were exposed and her mocha brown tresses cascaded down like a waterfall. Closely related on the angelic, heart-shaped face were her rosy cheekbones and lips- both full and oh-so-kissable. It was those enticing, emerald green gems behind clear lenses, however, that captivated him most of all.

"Hey there, gorgeous." Montgomery Garmadon spoke finally, tilting away confidently in his seat. He was dressed dapper in a navy blue, pressed buttondown shirt with the collar and top three buttons stylishly undone to show a braided leather necklace that held a slate grey dragon pendant.

"Hi." Misako's shy smile copied her greet as she daintily lowered herself into the chair opposite him, still unsure what to make of the man who selflessly risked everything to save her life.

His sunglasses were removed for an unhindered sight of the stunning young woman across from him. "My, look at you." He leisurely leaned into his seat and then flattered her in that delicious, british accent of his, "You are really, really beautiful."

She treated him to a simper of flirtation, "Say that one more time for me. Your voice might be all the more."

He chuckled while stressing his lilt for her own amusement. "Stop it. You are too kind." They were all laughs and smiles, two strangers now completely at ease with each other; their night was just beginning. Seeing Misako physically loosen up, Garmadon slumped back comfortably and opened his hands with extended arms. "So what do you think? How grand is this place?"

"We were lucky enough to get a table outside," She enthused. "This view is amazing!"

They stared off to the curve of the horizon, where sparkling sea met a prim bombardment of colors that hung over the sky in amber, tangerine and neon pink. "There may be no lovelier dining spot in Ninjago," mentioned Garmadon. "As a matter of fact, my brother and I made the opening night, and we were so blown away that we set the date to return every friday the thirteenth. Its not a regular occasion, but whenever the day happens to land on the calendar, we end up inhaling our own body weight in seafood."

"You don't say." She showed the kind of smile that revealed all straight, crystal-white teeth. "I'm sure you know your way around the menu then. What's good here?"

"That all depends on what you favor."

Abashed, Misako hissed inward through a tight set of teeth as she decided to confess, "Okay... If I'm honest... I've never been a huge fan of seafood."

His upper body flung forward, and he questioned her on the edge of laughter, "Why didn't you say so in the bookstore, sweetheart?"

"You were making me nervous!"

He waited to deliver her relief until his full hearted laugh eventually died down, "Fortunately for you, I resolved to order for both of us ahead of time. You're welcome."

"I appreciate it. That's actually very nice to not have to think for a change."

"What's your drink?"

"A water would be perfect."

"Oooh, dirty," the twenty-year-old teased, triggering a hard laugh out of the gorgeous girl without effort.

A passing waiter was soon flagged down by Garmadon, who requested something that was totally inaudible to Misako. And with the enthusiasm of someone new to the job, the smartly dressed waiter returned not even a minute later to drop off two Hurricane glasses filled to the brim with Miami Vice cocktail.

The light brunette peered distrustfully over her umbrella'd glass to meet Garmadon's mischievous grin. "Are you trying to seduce me?"

"No. Why?" He fingered his collar and tore open the fourth button to lay bare a few inches more of his browned, sweat glistening chest. "Are you seduceable?"

Clearly not minding the flirtation anymore, Misako shook her head, giggling, "You're terrible."

The faint curve to his lip leveled crookedly as he raised his alcoholic beverage. "And worth all the trouble." To that, the man and woman clinked their glasses and drank.

"So tell me. What's your story?" Inquired Garmadon later.

"My story?"

"Everyone has a story."

"Well..." She began with self-assurance, having been to several job interviews where the question was always popped. "I'm an only child. I was born in the western part of Ignacia where my parents and I spent most of the early years of my childhood. Then, when I was eight, we moved up to Jamanakai and settled into the same house we own today. There I completed all my schooling and majored in History after winning a full-ride scholarship to the University of Ninjago. I graduated almost a year ago which was equally around the same time I had packed my bags and moved out into the city. And here I am now," she said, "living the life- volunteering my hours at Ninjago's Museum of History and working five days a week at Crosscover."

"And what was it that brought you to the big city," he asked, "business or pleasure?"

"Pleasure." She sputtered out an unplanned answer, then corrected it with the other option. But giggling off his broadening grin, she took both answers back. "A little bit of both. You see, my life long dream is to get a career in archeology- make ground-breaking discoveries, piece together Ninjago's unsolved puzzles of the past…"

"Well, that indeed explains the aura of enlightenment." He continued, "Let me tell you something if I may. That is a very noble aspiration. I mean, archeology is a wonderful career for you. I can easily surmise you are incredibly bright and highly motivated, so why not set up a business plan and make this dream happen." Garmadon's advice really hit Misako hard. Although his suggestion was so responsive, the word 'Trouble' remained stamped in capitals across his forehead. "And know that I would be willing to help you get there in the event that you might be interested. As the flesh and blood of the First Spinjitzu Master, I think I should know a thing or two about all this madness in my twenty years."

Hugely surprised at his generosity, she tried to process his magnanimity. "Thank you. That's actually… Very encouraging."

And then, for the sake of conversation, Garmadon asked all these penetrating questions about her because he was profoundly interested.

"I run every morning. It's been my daily pastime for years."

Truly fascinated, he swallowed, setting down his drink. "Has it now."

"Mhmm. Six miles a day."

"Considering all you do, I imagine you have a very strict agenda."

"I do," She confirmed after a sensuous sip of her drink, "My days are all planned out. I have my alarm set for five every morning so I can scratch off my run before work. Most days I shoot to arrive no later than eight and work until noon so my good friend Silvia and I can meet up for lunch in the city. After that, I walk to the museum for my afternoon shift. Normally check out around five, head back to my apartment, pop in a microwaveable dinner and catch up on some reading or late night news before I start the same routine all over again the next day."

A faint whistle blew out from his lips. "Sounds like the road to success."

"You bet."

The beautiful boy rested a forearm atop the table and knocked back a slug of cocktail. It occurred to her that she had been so engrossed in their conversations that she had hardly noticed the diamond stud earring pierced through his left ear, or even the partially obscured tattoo peeking out beneath the cuffed shirt sleeve. She tilted her head in wondrous curiosity, "Can I ask you something?" Wet lips stuck to the rim of his glass, he only arched a thick brow. Eyeing her, daring her. "What's your tattoo?"

"Would you like to see?" He rolled up his sleeves to uncover a writhing dragon spiraling around a massive bicep that was surely bigger than her own head.

Misako examined the Chinese dragon with intrigue; the image possessed beauty but also retained the violence required to saturate flesh with art. "It's beautiful," she admired the skin canvas. "Did you do this?"

Garmadon, nodding proudly, touched his permanently inked bicep. "I gave my brother one as well. It is quite similar, but on the opposite arm."

"You must be really close with your brother. What's his name?"

"Wu."

"Who's older?"

"Guess."

"...I'm going to say he is."

The left side of his face scrunched upward. "Ouch."

Misako was shocked. "Are you, really?" When Garmadon bobbed his head, she rained a second question on him, "By how much?"

"Funnily enough, we were born within eleven months of each other on the same year."

She gasped, speculating, "Irish twins!"

"Precisely the term." He acknowledged.

"Does that aggravate either of you, being so close in age?"

"Always." Garmadon went on to say, "It seems as though we are constantly competing for dominance. And for reasons inscrutable to me, Wu is under the impression that, because of his advanced maturity, he rightfully has the utmost control and superiority. Hence why I often need to remind him that he is the baby."

She threw out a brief giggle and asked, "When can I meet him?"

"Don't hold your breath." By his curt reply, she knew that an introduction was not meant to happen soon. "He is just as excited to meet you, believe me. When he first heard I was improbably taking you out to dinner he laughed for almost an hour and figured you had antlers and howled at the moon."

Dissolving into an outburst of laughter, Misako was compassionate enough to angle an arm over the table and rub four comforting fingertips across his knuckles. "I shouldn't be laughing," she sympathized and barely choked back her escaping giggles, "I'm sorry."

The warmth from her fingers to his own spread through Garmadon's entire body, and once it gripped his heart, the feeling traveled to his eyes. And that was when Misako learned that, despite this man's sexy, troubled, Wall Street bad boy charm, he had never taken a single woman out... Ever.

"That is nothing to be ashamed of, Garmadon," Misako sincerely told him. "And if it makes you feel any better my first date was a godawful blind arrangement set up by Silvia. His name was Ed Walker-"

"Mm." Garmadon broke her off before she could say what he thought was dreadfully coming next. "This is _the_ guy, isn't it?"

"What? No!"

"No?"

"He's not my boyfriend." She replied, chuckling.

"Ah, so this would make him one of your crazy ex boyfriends I have to worry about."

She moved her head lightly from side to side, her silky, beach-wave curls flowing gracefully down her front. "I've never had a boyfriend."

Garmadon's indigo speckled eyes grew round, "You have not had a single-" Again she shook her head, which kept him slack-jawed as he collapsed against the back of his chair. "That is incredibly shocking."

Misako shrugged carelessly. "It's mostly by choice. I have a tendency to throw all my energy into my job and internship- and I know I don't put myself out there at all, but that's because I don't get out a lot. Apart from that, guys just don't look at me that way. They never seem to notice me."

His brows formed sharp, downward slants. "What makes you say that?"

"Because!" She laughed, a small laugh full of uneasiness.

"That is not an answer." Her rescuer fixed her with an unwavering stare- no humor lurking about his unsmiling mouth. "Misako, you are absolutely beautiful."

The girl tried desperately hard not to smile, but was unable not to under Garmadon's powerful gaze looking her way. On top of that, she couldn't dare to watch his adorably dimpled smirk etch its way back into his devilishly handsome face. "Please don't."

"Oh, dear me," whined Garmadon, playfully, "Don't what?"

"Don't smile at me like that!"

Then he blurted, "I just couldn't help but notice you look a lot like my girlfriend to be."

Misako, terribly self-conscious, turned her head to the side, creating the biggest smile she was capable of making. He had her floundering terribly, not knowing quite what to say, and so her hand rose to her reddening face, attempting to blanket it behind her fingers. Though, her heated cheeks burned a deep pink to rival the makeup blush, and shown through the gaps.

In his arrogant triumph, he smirked just a small pouting of the lips; a narrowing of the eyes and a expectant tilting of the head. "Why are you blushing?"

Her pigment darkened off her completely smitten smile. She fibbed, "I... Didn't realize I was."

"You are redder than the devil right now." Garmadon announced with such volume that their attentive waiter, now serving them, failed to ignore the scene. Washed with embarrassment, the light brunette plunged her foot straight into the opposite's shin, but that only caused his foot to go after the one that kicked him. Underneath the table, his ankle playfully nudged, tapped, and twisted around hers, while above he gave funny little winks and grins just to piss her off even more. Thankfully, a side tray of oysters over ice distracted him from his game of footsie, and he dug right in with ravenous hunger, immediately slurping down fat, juicy briny bivalves with the manners of a fresh toddler.

Misako's tiny nose wrinkled in disgust, for she could hardly stand the show. "That," She gagged, watching her date suck up oozing oyster meat like a vacuum, "is the most disgusting thing I have ever seen in my life."

Garmadon sloppily devoured them with pleasure, and then, to Misako's horror, stretched his next shell across the table. No longer interested in eating one, she leaned away, terrified, but the oyster followed. "Okay, okay!" She gave in after he forced it toward her mouth. "I'll try one." And... She surprisingly learned to share a love for oysters, along with the many other bizarre sides he pushed on her throughout the night.

The unlikely couple dined gaily under the sinking sun, where its changing light dyed the heavens first yellow, then orange, then red, until all that was left of the sunset was a pale mauve, and then even that melted away in turn as darkness took over the sky. While the two meandered through the courses of their meal, laughing, talking, and joking like old, lifelong friends, neither of them had ever looked so animated and alive and happy, and before long, the remnants of the dinner they ate surrounded them.

"It's getting late... I guess I should be going," mumbled Misako, reaching for her handbag. "I have a nine o'clock shift at the museum tomorrow morning."

"Alright." Garmadon drained his third refill. "But I won't let you walk home alone this late after dark. We are in an extremely dangerous part of Ninjago." He winked.

Walking side by side with a dangerously close space between one another, Misako and Garmadon strolled along a quaint, tree-lined street to an upscale apartment complex. The six foot eight, pridefully strutting male glimpsed downward at the seventeen-year-old girl, who occasionally swayed just an inch away from his body. "That wasn't so bad, was it?" His elbow jabbed her upper arm in jest.

She shook her head 'no', and her eyes suddenly became dreamy. "Its so strange… I feel like I've known you longer than just one night."

"Yeah. Me too."

As they fell quiet, Misako fortuitously swerved a little to her left to find herself accidentally brushing up against a gigantic, rock-hard bicep. The collision startled her, actually, and her eyes zipped up to the flirty smirk of Garmadon, and then down to her feet as fast as they could.

"Quit flirting with me, Misako."

She laughed. She was adorable when she laughed. Getting another smiling breath out of her, Garmadon recklessly bumped into her side with his hip. Her giggles were infectious, and he caught a pretty bad case of them. They took turns jostling each other playfully. Too comfortable, too happy to say goodbye just yet, they slowed down to make the road last longer.

"Garmadon, I had a wonderful time with you," Misako told him the truth as they stopped at the staircase of a converted brownstone.

"Well, now, I was not expecting to hear that."

"Well, I wasn't really expecting to like you." Her lips shaped that coy, kissable, glossy heart, in which he could not take his eyes off of.

Garmadon's heart skipped a beat. "And I was _definitely_ not expecting to hear that," he chuckled while inviting her into open arms for a friendly goodbye. Now, Misako was not one to over-excitedly move in to a man's arms, but when Garmadon noticed her hesitation, he jumped right ahead to aggressively wrap her up in a huge, cuddly bear-hug. Without warning, her face was smashed against an iron stomach, and was forced to breathe in his insanely strong sent of cologne. Even so, he made her feel like the luckiest girl in the world, being like this, folded warmly in his arms. After a moment, they separated, wordlessly. But it wasn't a bad silence- sort of a good, hopeful one.

Misako flashed unsure glances between her apartment and the man who was no longer a stranger to her. "I'm sorry..." Her apology trailed off, and she motioned with her head to the building, "I really have to go."

"Okay." There was a disheartenment about Garmadon's closed lip smile as he nodded, stepped back, and dug his hands in the pockets of his khakis.

"Well, it was nice seeing you," she said, and also added with a wink, "Maybe we can stumble into each other some time."

"I'll look forward to it." He smiled, but was dying trying not to show how he honestly felt as he sadly watched her start up the stairs. He was about to turn around, heart in his stomach, when her voice came to surprise him.

"Oh. And, Garmadon?" Misako called out, half-way through the door. He whipped around, anticipating a request to see him again. "Thank you again. For everything."

Although he did not hear what he hoped to, he still fought up a grin and said, "You are more than welcome."

Then, Misako gave him one last thoughtful smile as she murmured a sweet little "Good night" before disappearing into the building.

"Night," Garmadon whispered to himself now that he was standing alone under the streetlamp's smudgy pool of yellow light. He felt their connection was instant. Perhaps she felt the same, but was not yet ready to acknowledge it...


	11. Along Came Trouble

**Along Came Trouble**

The following Saturday morning Misako sprung up before sunrise for a routine run through a beloved suburban park. Her worn running shoes pounded a memorized trail surrounded by deciduous trees, wooden benches, fountains and large expanses of freshly cut grass. There was an unseasoned breeze ruffling the leaves, and the dark, sunless sky above was furrowed with wispy bands of cloud fading from the faintest mauve to the palest indigo.

Running fluidly with each stride leaving not an ounce of wasted motion, Misako checked her wrist garmin for her time and covered milage. Five forty-three AM. Five down, one to go. She decreased her pace, allowing herself some time to ruminate about the night before and the refreshingly original man she had shared it with. But suddenly, in the middle of her deep reminiscing, a strong and easily identifiable male voice dramatically hollered from behind, "Misako Shintani, as I live and breathe!"

Being given a startled jump, Misako twisted her head around in sheer disbelief. Sure enough, along came trouble with a capital 'T', wind at his long flowing locks as he vigorously caught up to her in unlaced black combat boots. Her expression took on the glow of the wide swept sun. "Hey, big guy!"

Garmadon athletically barreled alongside her, energy high, excitement on his face as he remarked cooly, "Fancy meeting you here."

"Yeah, fancy that," agreed Misako, doubtfully.

Hip-to-hip at her side, he cheerfully bounded with a great lolloping gait that suggested his ankles were made of tightly coiled springs rather than the bone she had; it took her two whole strides to match his one. "Wow," he observed, "beautiful day." Then he glimpsed down at the seventeen-year-old and added, "beautiful girl."

She smiled bashfully at the ground. "Thank you."

"You knocked me out last night. Most fun I've had in ages." Garmadon bumped into Misako's upper arm. "I must not have played my part very well if you are already up and running."

Huffing and puffing beside the towering, unmasked ninja who's footfalls strangely made no sound at all, she reminded him, "Just going for my morning run."

"You're a morning person, aren't you?" Assumed Garmadon in high spirits, showing no apparent sign of the whipped exhaustion that doused Misako.

The back of her hand swiped at her sweat-beaded forehead. "Well, I begin each day as if it were on purpose." Off her reply, a small smile crossed the twenty-year-old's mouth. He saw a toughness, an inner strength, a radiant glow about Misako, who raised major suspicion in her stalker's undying stare. "Okay, what's going on here?" She pressed, "What are you up to?"

"Up to?" He resounded too innocently, kicking up the guiltless puppy brows.

"You just so happened to feel like going for a five AM run through my neighborhood this morning?"

"Why not?" Garmadon let out a refreshed sigh and spun his body around 180 degrees to jog backwards a few steps ahead. There, a much better view of her. "Thought I would stretch my legs."

She made askance at him. "On the very same route I take?"

"This is your route?" All in act, he gasped his breath exaggeratedly and threw on a stupefied mask. "What are the odds against this weird coincidence?"

"Basically zero." Misako somehow giggled during her heavy exhalations. "How long have you been following me?"

"As part of my creed, my answer must remain mysterious and my mission secret."

"Ohh, you're on a mission," she recognized in sort of a mocking way, "What kind of mission?"

"If I told you I would then have to kill you," cautioned Garmadon out of a smirking, off-centered mouth, and then hinted, "But you already know the answer to that question." By the burning hue of her cheeks, Garmadon was very much aware that she undoubtably did know the answer. "Well," he blurted when the moment was right, dunking his head all the way down to hers, "I'm famished. Let's eat."

"I'm sorry." Misako wiggle-shook her head. "I can't."

"Oh, not this again."

"Maybe another time," she offered indifferently, though felt a pang of shame when she pretended to check her garmin and then mix up a harmless lie, "I need to be heading home anyway. I have a seven o'clock shift at the museum this morning."

"Nine o'clock."

Caught, her face flushed a chalky-white. "...What?"

He flipped himself back around so he could jog alongside her. "I know for a fact the museum does not open until nine. And I specifically remember you relaying to me that you had a nine AM shift."

"Okay. I lied. I'm sorry. I _do_ have a nine o'clock shift and I didn't-"

"Whoa, wait, back up. _You_ lied?"

A now red-faced Misako paused, thoroughly embarrassed that he was making such a huge deal about this. "Yeah. Kinda."

Garmadon grinned ear-to-ear, loving her even more. He waited ten seconds before intrusively leaning down to pester her a second time. "So, did you change your mind?" Painfully hesitating, she kept quiet in hopes that he might give up and leave after her string of rejections. However, he continued to pursue with the same hard determination that he exercised the day before. "Okay, then lunch?" She shook her head with an apologetic smile. "Dinner?" Another friendly shake. "Drinks?" Surprise, surprise another shake. "Water?" tried Garmadon so desperately, "Come on, you like water."

An expulsion of laugher from the lungs broke her breathing pattern and she struggled to find her breath. "I don't think so. But thanks."

Garmadon just smiled, enjoying the adorable sound of her laugh as well as getting burnt for who knows how many times. Then he asked her if she was going to "finish the job."

"What? Getting rid of you?"

"No." He faked a sniffle and moved a large hand to his powerful chest. "Breaking my heart."

"I hope there are no hard feelings." She said, sounding like she could care less about this man's emotions.

"For what? You are entitled to turn me down for another date even after everything we had going last night," Garmadon stated, secretly a little offended. "Just know that you are making a dire mistake, one that will haunt you for the rest of your life and keep you from realizing true happiness."

Misako couldn't help but laugh. "Why do you want to take me to breakfast so badly?"

"Because you look hungry."

"Really..."

"_Anndd_ because I am felling a bit hungry myself."

Turning her head, she gave him a tiny smile, and unexpectedly uttered the word "okay."

"Okay what?"

"Okay breakfast."

"Really?"

"Sure," agreed Misako, probably shocking herself more than she did Garmadon. "I know a little breakfast place around the corner. Do you want to grab a bite?"

"Would I?"

Thanks to Garmadon's mastered skills of persuasion, the offbeat pair treated themselves to an early breakfast at a small cafe and bakery on the main street's shopping center. Nearly two hours later, Misako sauntered out the door which Garmadon stepped aside to hold open. They seemed to be reliving their previous night; they were perfectly at ease with one another, enjoying each other's company, smiling, laughing and most of all, happy- happier than happy.

Once they faced each other, Misako's empty hand that wasn't cupped around a hot, gourmet coffee, reached into the inner pocket of her skin-tight running capris to pull out a wad of folded dollars. "Okay, what do I owe you for breakfast?"

"No, I don't need-" He began, but then stopped to scratch his granite chin, rethinking, "...Actually, there is one thing that might square up for it." Misako waited nervously, knowing this couldn't be good. He put his thought into action, bending his upper body forward, while pursing his heavenly lips together, making loud, smacking, kissy noises from his mouth that was now playfully approaching Misako's.

Squealing out her laugh, she squeezed her eyes closed and, with her cash-holding hand, pushed away his incoming face. "No, really." She giggled at the same time he did. "How much do I owe you?"

"Your money is no good here." Assured Garmadon, kindly.

"Okay... Thank you." The twosome shared a cute, silent smile. "Well, I have to go to work. I'm this way." The girl pointed a finger in the direction they came from.

"I'm that way." Using his head, Garmadon gestured to the opposite road.

"It was really nice seeing you again."

"And always you."

Reluctantly and unwillingly, both Garmadon and Misako took a baby step to the side, preparing to turn their backs for departure.

"Garmadon, wait."

He stopped in his tracks, smirking to himself, and then whirled around to face her. "Hmm?" He pushed, trying to get what he hoped to hear all along out of her, "Yeah?"

"My shift ends at five today... and I don't have any plans afterwards," she sheepishly spoke under that big, _big_ smile of his. "I think we should get dinner again tonight. Same time, around seven?"

"I don't go back-to-backs."

Misako shot him a 'what the hell?' look.

"Just kidding." He gave her shoulder a jesting shove. "I'll definitely be there."

You should have seen her face light up. "So I'll see you then?"

"You will see me then."

"Good."

Misako flashed him a quick smile and started off down the street, heedless of the a pair of violet eyes glued to her backside. Garmadon teetered on the street curb, watching her disappear farther and farther until she was out of sight. He conspicuously did a victorious karate-chop. "Yes!"

**A/N: I should have updated last week but I worked on my profile picture instead. Sorry, sorry XD **


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